


Flesh and blood, but not human

by NorseChaos



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, But then actual JeanMarco, M/M, Platonic Jeanmarco, Platonic Jearmin, Post-Trost Arc, Slow Burn, Titan Marco Bott, Titan Shifters, levi has feelings too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2017-02-10
Packaged: 2018-08-14 13:02:31
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 27
Words: 53,065
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8015068
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorseChaos/pseuds/NorseChaos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>They hadn’t lost a best friend, a confidant, the only person who could ever manage to get a smile out of them no matter how crappy their day had been. They hadn’t lost Marco Bott.</p><p>But now isn't the time to be getting emotional; there's an abnormal outside the Survey Corps' barracks, and it's looking at Jean strangely.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I Can't See You

It had been months now since the incident at Trost, the one Jean refused to talk about. He understood that there was a job that still needed doing, and that the universe wasn’t about to stop for his sake, but he just didn’t understand how the others could carry on so easily after such a loss. Or perhaps it was only his loss; they hadn’t lost a best friend, a confidant, the only person who could ever manage to get a smile out of them no matter how crappy their day had been. 

They hadn’t lost Marco Bott.

Jean had managed to come to terms with the loss of his friend, letting it have a home in the back of his mind, where it would only come out when he thought about it. Of course there were still moments when he would turn around and expect the freckled boy to be stood by his side, and he would feel crushed when he found the space beside him empty. There were days when he would wake up in a cold sweat, racked with guilt over how he had abandoned Marco, left him alone to be ripped apart by a Titan. But, for the most part, it would only come out when he asked it, and that was better than it consuming his every waking thought like it had in the days following. Which meant he was able to pull himself out of his bed sharpish when he heard yelling in the corridor and a banging at his bedroom door.  
“Alright, Kirstein, up and out, we got a Titan spotted not too far off, and it’s coming this way! We gotta mobilize!” It was only the voice of another soldier that Jean couldn’t recognise with all the other yelling happening outside, and he heard them run off down the hall to wake up the next soldier. He shook the sleep from his mind, his brows already set down in a determined line. He had to rub his hands over his face to wake himself up.  
“C’mon, Jean,” he muttered to himself. “No falling asleep on the job.”  
Feeling a little more awake now, he threw himself in to his shirt and trousers, and, well practiced as he was, only spent a few minutes pulling his straps on, then yanking his jacket from the hook on the back of his door before running out into the hallway.

It was chaos. Organised chaos, admittedly, since their commander would allow nothing less, but there were people hurriedly walking both ways down the hall, bumping into everyone they passed. There weren’t many people in the Survey Corps, but the hall was narrow, and the barracks were still only small. And now they were under threat of a Titan attack. It had almost happened a few times before, but Commander Erwin Smith had an early alert system, with guards surrounding the barracks at all hours. They were so well rehearsed that Jean was barely worried. Of course there was the natural worry that came with facing off against humanoid monstrosities at least three times your height, but that came with the territory and he knew it. With a deep breath, Jean pulled his door shut behind him and headed to the out-building where the gear was kept, only suffering a few shoulder knocks against walls on the way there.

Jogging through the door in to the storage building, Jean instantly spotted Armin, Eren and Mikasa, of course, all standing together, fixing their canisters in place on their gear. As much as he hated to admit to himself, they were technically his friends, so he crossed over to them. Armin saw him approaching and waved nervously in-between yanking on the strap across his chest.  
“You know anything about this Titan?” Jean asked, reaching across Armin for a gas canister.  
“Apparently it’s an abnormal,” The blonde said, trying to sound as confident as he could.  
Jean grunted to himself. “Of course it is.”  
“What, you scared, Jean?” Eren chuckled. Jean snapped his head around to glare at Jaeger, but he realised that there was a least a little note of humour in Eren’s voice. They were on slightly better terms these days, but that didn’t stop them digging at one another when they could. Jean rolled his eyes. Thankfully, Mikasa nudged Eren in the side.  
“Alright, alright, sorry,” Eren glanced over at Jean, “Seriously though, think you’ll be alright?”  
“What do you mean ‘alright’?”  
Jean could hear Armin’s exasperated sigh behind him.  
Eren stumbled over his words slightly, “Well, y’know, after… After Trost. It’s been a while since you’ve gone back into the field.”  
“Tch. I’ll be fine,” Jean hissed. Eren looked like he was about to reply, but he thought better of it, much to the relief of everyone around.

Jean looked back around, going to pick up his second canister, when he saw Armin holding one out to him, a nervous smile on his lips.  
“Thanks.” Jean sighed, taking the canister from Armin.  
“No problem,” Armin laughed nervously, “and please, don’t pay too much attention to Eren. He’s a little on edge being under watch so much.”  
Jean shook his head. “It’s fine. We’re all a little on edge. Especially with an abnormal so close.” Jean finished attaching his canisters, and watched as Armin finished securing his. “Are you sure it’s an abnormal?”  
“I ran past the guards as they were coming back, and it’s just what I heard. They sounded shaken, too.”  
“You’re not inspiring me with hope here, Armin.”  
“Right, right, sorry.”

“We’re leaving Armin, are you coming with us?” Mikasa’s voice almost made Jean jump. It felt like it was coming from right beside his ear. Of course it wasn’t, and Mikasa was standing a good few feet to his left, but she was that kind of intense person, and Jean’s adrenaline was starting to get the better of him. He watched Armin shake his head, and look at him with a smile.  
“I’ll catch up later. I’ll go with Jean.”  
Eren tutted. “Suit yourself,” before walking off at a brisk pace, probably to find Captain Levi, since he was Eren’s new babysitter.  
“Come on,” Armin said, “let’s head out to the stables, we’re taking up space here.”  
With a quick glance around, Jean nodded in agreement. More people had flooded in to the kit room since they had been talking and now it was getting hard to move. Armin went to walk away, but found his path blocked by a throng of soldiers all getting ready. Jean gently tugged him aside and pushed his way through the crowd, leaving space behind him for Armin to follow. Jean could even feel Armin’s small hand clinging to the back of his jacket, which he found almost comforting.

It was a relief to be out in the open air again after the tightly packed kit room. Armin let go of his jacket, and headed straight towards the stable buildings, where horses were already being walked out. Armin saw a horse he was familiar with, and decided that would be his for the mission. Jean didn’t much mind, and went for the one in the stall beside Armin’s. They were all well trained animals, the best of the best, to match those who rode them, so he knew they would all be capable on a mission. He walked up to the stable door, about to unlatch it, when he heard a commotion in the distance. He knew instantly what it was, and so did Armin. They looked at each other as they listened.  
There was yelling, a shouting voice calling orders to others over the all too familiar sound of rumbling earth. It was still only in the distance, but the fact that they were now able to hear it put everyone on edge. This was perhaps the closest a titan had ever come to the barracks. It was a surprising fact, so maybe they should have known their time was up.  
“Come on,” Jean sighed, finally unlocking the bottom half of the stable door and gently coaxing the horse from its stall, “We better get going. Don’t want that thing coming any closer, right?”  
Armin gave a soft grunt in agreement.  
The stable crew were doing their best in getting everyone ready, but it had been such a short notice wakeup call that you were pretty much responsible for tacking up your own horse. Jean found it a nuisance, since he just wanted to get out there and fight this thing. Thankfully, Sasha appeared out of nowhere with a spare saddle for Armin, and Connie followed with a bridle for each of them, and they were ready to ride in no time.  
“Those two are a blessing sometimes,” Armin commented.  
Jean huffed out a small laugh, “Weird blessings.”  
Armin laughed, but still nudged Jean in the side and told him not to be so mean.

Section Commander Hange was stood at the exit gate of the yard, giving orders to everyone who passed. It was easier than waiting to assemble everyone at once. Jean and Armin rode up to the gate together, stopping obediently beside Hange.  
“Alright boys,” she said, sounding as happy as ever, “you know the drill; lure it away from here before you take it down. You’re probably the last ones to be sent out, unless there’s a call for back up.” She hesitated, “Although, if you could perhaps go gentle on it? Getting my hands on an abnormal would be fantastic! Maybe we could learn about where they generate all these strange powers or -”  
“I’m not playing nice with a Titan.” Jean grunted, before digging his heels in to his horse’s sides and riding off.  
Armin looked to Hange. “I’m sorry.”  
Hange shook her head, and patted Armin’s hand, speaking a little more calmly. “It’s okay, kid, I’m sure he has his reasons.”  
Armin smiled weakly, understanding all too well where Jean’s resentment came from.  
Hange continued, her excitement back, “Go on then!” And without warning, she smacked Armin’s horse on the rear and set it off at a gallop out of the gates. It startled him, but once he found his rhythm, he was fine.

It wasn’t long before Armin caught up to Jean, only a little way from the gates. Jean was following the sound, which was leading him out and to the right. The yelling was louder now, but there was still a large patch of trees in the way, so there wasn’t much to see for now. Armin called out to Jean when he finally caught up.  
“Do you think it’s bad?” He asked.  
“I doubt it’s going to be good.”  
“You know what I mean, Jean.”  
Jean sighed with a shrug. “I don’t know. It sounds like there are still a lot of men out there, so maybe it’s not so violent? Who can tell?”  
Armin nodded to himself. “Yeah, you’re right.” He hesitated for a second before he asked “Are you sure you’re going to be okay? I know Eren asked earlier but…”  
“I’ll be fine if people stop asking me about it! I’m not going to have a breakdown in the field, I’m not going to try and take it down on my own, don’t worry about me!” Jean hadn’t been yelling, but his voice had been harsh, harsh enough to make Armin wince. Jean noticed, and instantly felt bad.  
“I’m sorry. I know you mean well, so, thanks. But I’m fine. I’m a soldier, I have to be fine.”  
Armin let himself smile a little. He wasn’t sure if that was a healthy attitude to have, but it definitely sounded like Jean, so maybe he was feeling alright.  
“Okay,” he said, “we should be coming up on it about now. So be ready!”  
Jean nodded, and they rounded the trees together.

They had seen Titans before, too many to even count, but every time was like the first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm the kind of person who is perfectly fine if Marco is really dead. But Titan!Marco just gives me so many emotions and I love it so, here's this~
> 
> Tags will be updated as we go~


	2. What Couldn't Kill Me

There was only one, around fifteen metres if Jean’s guess was right. It was mostly covered in skin like any other Titan, although there were lines up its arms and legs where the sinew and flesh beneath was visible. Its hands were bare as well, covered in pink, shining muscle tissue and greying bone. Jean couldn’t see its face from where he was, the angle was too steep, but he could see dark hair on its head, black that shone brown in the sunlight. It was walking, slowly, but with an odd sense of purpose, and seemed to be ignoring the humans at its feet completely.  
At a glance, it looked like there were three squads. Those to the right of the Titan, those to its left, which Jean and Armin were about to join, and a group following behind. Jean could see clearly that this group was Squad Levi, with Levi at the front, and Eren riding right by his side. There were a few familiar faces to Jean scattered across the other two groups but he didn’t have much time to take them in as a voice from the front of their group called out to get in closer. Apparently, Hange had some say in how this mission was going to go down, and she wanted this thing alive. They were going to trip it up, with any luck, and keep it there until they could nail it down and Hange could have her fun. Squad Levi was there to take control if things turned south, or if the thing came to close to the barracks.

They had coils of rope that looked miles long. They were passed out among Jean’s squad. Although he wasn’t handed one, Armin was.  
“You’re gonna ride ahead and meet with the right squad. Stretch the rope out between you, then circle! Get it round its ankles! And avoid your ODM Gear, don’t use it unless you have to!”  
Jean was more annoyed that he had put it on to not use it, but he saw their commander’s point. There were no trees near the Titan, so using your gear would mean firing it at the Titan directly, and that would bring you right within grabbing range of greedy hands.  
There was a rough chorus of agreement from all those who had been handed rope, there were about seven in total, before their commander called out the order, and they set of at a gallop away from the remainder of the group.  
Armin had been handed rope, so, with a short nod between him and Jean, he spurred his horse on, speeding ahead with the others from the right to meet in the middle. Jean, however was one of the few kept behind to watch, to warn, fire flares if necessary. Jean kept his eyes fixed on the Titan, watching for even the slightest flinch that could put his comrades in danger.

The two groups sent out ahead converged quickly, and with a bit of organizing, the ropes were distributed, and the two groups began to slow down in order to draw level with the Titan’s ankles. Unfortunately, it was never going to be that easy when dealing with an abnormal.

Jean noticed it first, how the giant was slowing down, until it came to a complete halt. It was looking down, though from the steep angle, Jean still couldn’t see the thing’s face, which meant that he couldn’t know exactly where it was looking, but it had clearly figured out their plan to trip it over.  
“You’re kidding me.” Jean sighed to himself, before looking to his commander for the new order. “Sir, what do we do now?”  
The commander frowned, clearly thinking at a thousand miles an hour.  
“We can still secure its legs!” he called, loud enough for the other groups to hear. Sound traveled clearly out in these plains. “Get close, quickly, and ODM up and around. Loop the rope as many times as you can around it’s ankles and get out of there. We can get it down on the ground once we’ve done that. Right?”  
The chorus of “Yes, sir!” came quick and sharp, before the troops went to action.  
Jean, still keeping an eye on the Titan, watched Armin carefully. He didn’t want to lose another friend, and using our gear in a situation like this was an easy way to get killed. He knew their commander was in a pinch now, but he wasn’t entirely happy with calling the use of ODM gear so soon.

Armin rode his horse around to the back of the Titan, before he stood from his saddle, and shot his grapples into the Titan’s calves. Jean saw the flinch of the giant’s legs from the sudden jolts of pain, with six or so soldiers all shooting hooks into its legs. He could almost swear he heard a discontented grumbling sound. He smiled.  
“You think this hurts, big guy? Wait ‘til Section Commander Hange gets her hands on you.” At least he was amusing himself on the field again. Maybe he really was feeling better? But he couldn’t get carried away. He shook his head, and focused his attention back on the situation at hand.

With the Titan still watching them, the teams set about swinging around the beast’s ankles. Everyone was surprised by how oddly compliant the Titan appeared to be, but of course, the peace didn’t last long. There was a shout from Squad Levi, and Jean snapped his head around to look just in time, as he saw them disperse.  
“What…?” Jean muttered. Squad Levi would never split up so hap-hazardly unless…

“Watch out!” Jeans team leader cried out, and Jean’s heart stopped for a millisecond when he saw the Titan raising its right leg, slipping it’s foot right out of the still loose ropes. The crew that were carrying the ropes dropped them, and all let their grapples free from the Titan’s body, propelling away, and crashing to the floor in an ungraceful pile behind it. They were out of the fight now.

“Return to the barracks, immediately!” Jean’s commander yelled. They would be a liability out here now, with no horses and no ropes; better to keep them safe and out of the way. “We have this!”

Jean scanned the group for Armin, and was relieved when he saw the blond stand up and tug his hood from his face where it was tangled. Armin met his eyes, and nodded, before turning, and running back to the barracks with the rest of his crew.

“This is down to us now! We need to immobilize this thing! We aim for the ankles. Slice them up and get out of there.” Jean’s commander threw a brief look over his shoulder to Levi, who nodded calmly, approving of this plan. There was still hope of grounding the Titan and capturing it for Hange, and as dangerous as it was, everyone knew that the key to defeating these monsters was to know what made them tick.

Jean stood in his saddle, and jumped off. He was determined to get this thing over with.  
“You won’t go messing up our plans again.” He hissed, before jumping up and off his horse, and firing off his grapples. He stuck the calf higher than he would have liked, so he was just out of reach of the Achilles tendon. And he had shot off so fast that he was the only one up on the Titan already. He rolled his eyes.  
“Still making the rash decisions. Great.” But before he could scold himself any more, a low rumbling sound came from somewhere above him. Jean prayed it was the Titan’s mouth, and not it’s stomach. He looked up, to see the Titan looking down at him. Large, brown eyes, eyes that looked deeper than your average Titan. They seemed sad somehow. It threw Jean off for a second, before he realised the leg he was attached to was starting to move. He saw other cadets staring to stand from their own saddles, ready to join him, and the Titan was backing away from them. With the leg slowly lifting further from the ground, Jean knew he would have to go higher up, to give him enough space for a safer landing on the ground. He took a deep breath, threw himself back from the leg, and fired his grapples at the shoulder. Only once he had landed did he realise two very important things. 

First off, he was now within biting distance. 

Secondly, and perhaps worse, the Titan was looking right at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mm, writing fanficion and drinking beers. This is the life. 
> 
> But really, I'm just trying to make the most of the last few weeks of my summer freedom before I start Uni. I'll try and update this thing regularly, though things may get a little chaotic for a few weeks. So who knows~


	3. Left Me Blind

Slowly, Jean turned and met the Titan’s gaze. He was little more than a foot away from its face. Really, he should have taken the opportunity to distract the Titan, to grab its attention or stick a blade in its eye so that his comrades could slice up its ankles without any more trouble, but for whatever reason, Jean was transfixed. He figured it was something about the Titan’s eyes.

They weren’t like the other Titan eyes he had seen, not that he cared to stare in to them too long regularly. But these eyes. They seemed deeper, held more… Emotion? Giant, chocolate coloured eyes remained fixed with his, and Jean felt like it’s gaze held meaning.  
“What the…” Jean shook his head, carefully so he didn’t lose his balance, and tried to focus more. He pulled his eyes away from the Titan’s, and instead looked around its face, since he hadn’t seen it before.

There were spots above its eyebrows where there was no skin only muscle and sinew, similar to those on its arms. The sides of its jaw were also exposed, with only occasional vertical strips of flesh connecting the top and bottom, large, pearly teeth glistening in between. Its eyebrows were evenly set, but had a sad curve to them, which helped Jean identify the strange emotions he could see in the Titan’s eyes.  
The last thing Jean noticed was the smattering of darker spots across this Titans nose and cheeks. Upon realising this, he stumbled back a small way.  
“You gotta be kidding me.” Jean almost felt sick. The universe had to be pulling some kind of sick joke on him. “A Titan… With freckles? Freckles? Are you kidding me?”

“Kirstein! Get down, we’re going for the ankles!” The voice of Jean’s commander echoing below him snapped him from his sudden anger, and he remembered the precarious situation he was stuck in. With one last glance at the dumb beast, he jumped up, and off the Titan’s shoulder, shooting off grapples into its left hand on the way down to slow his descent, before he landed on the ground with a thud. He had to stumble out of the way of Squad Levi as they rushed past him, reformed now and still bringing up the rear.  
“Head back to barracks!” He heard one of them call back to him. He was about to, but he wanted to watch. For some reason, he wanted to see what happened to this weird freckled Titan. He was invested, and he knew he shouldn’t be, but it wouldn’t hurt to stick around now that they had immobilized it.

He could see the remaining cadets swarm around it’s ankles, all slashing at them, hacking away until they had sliced out big enough chunks of flesh to weaken the Titan, and send it collapsing to the floor. Jean’s commander noticed its balance falter for a second, and called out the order to retreat away. The crowd quickly dispersed, and everyone watched as the Titans ankles buckled under its own weight, swiftly followed by its knees, and it crashed to the ground. Giant clouds of dust flew up around it as the giant fell straight on to its front, its hands balled up by its head. Jean heard another unhappy grumbling sound, one he was sure this time came from the Titan.  
There was a loud pop as Petra fired off a green flare. They didn’t have much time before the flesh regenerated and the Titan would once again be mobile, so calling reinforcements to tie the Titan down needed to be done swiftly. They would see the flare no problem, and they hadn’t strayed too far from the barracks, so help would arrive fast.

Jean’s group was tasked with staying on the scene until the restraints arrived, while the other team, and Squad Levi were free to return to the barracks. Jean wandered slowly back towards the Titan, and his group. He walked all the way to the Titan’s head, which he hoped nobody would call him out on since he couldn’t see any other cadet spotting that area yet. He really only wanted to look at this Titan up close some more. He was half hoping that he had imagined the freckles, since his brain was more full of adrenaline than sense at the time. He nodded to his group commander as he passed, but kept his head down until he reached the very top end of the Titan, who was lying with his head facing the right, it’s left cheek squashed against the dirt. Jean made sure he wasn’t being watched too closely, and crouched down. He was only a little put off by how the Titan’s eyes snapped up to look at him once it realised his presence. He was only brave enough to stay crouching because he knew it couldn’t get up again. He should have been worried about its arms, really, but the way it had kept them in loose fists, completely still on the ground told Jean it wasn’t desperate for a meal just now.

“You really have freckles, don’t you?” he sighed to himself. He fell back to sit on the floor. “You even… You kind of look like him.” He wasn’t sure, but he felt like the Titan’s eyes widened for a split second. He shook his head. He was probably just tired. He could see that the thing’s eyebrows were arched in the same concerned looking way they had been before. Weird. But this Titan did bear a resemblance to Marco, and Jean couldn’t help but notice it; the dark hair with the small fringe, parted in the centre, the smattering of freckles, the concerned look. Especially those eyes. They felt like they could look right through Jean, right in to him, past any façade he may have presented. And Marco had always been the one to see through his bullshit. That was what Jean had first liked about him, the fact that Marco wouldn’t take anything but the honest truth from him. It was something nobody had ever bothered to try and get out of him. Of course that was only the first thing on the long list of things that were great about Marco, and Jean had them all memorised. Even these thoughts were making him well up.  
“God, not now.” He hissed to himself, fiercely rubbing at his eyes with the cuff of his jacket. He hadn’t been crying, but he could feel the tears coming.

Jean jumped when he felt a hand clap down on his shoulder. He was startled for a second, before he scrambled to his feet and span around to see who wanted his attention.  
“Section Commander Hange!” He instantly offered her a salute, but she waved him off, clearly more interested in the Titan behind him.  
“Your commander told me you got a close look at this thing?”  
“Uh, well, only for a second.” Jean muttered. He was still preoccupied with his own thoughts. But Hange, of course, wasn’t going to let this go.  
“A second is long enough! Please! Tell me everything you saw up there!”  
The mad flailing of her arms was enough to scare Jean into telling her.  
“Well, uh… I don’t think this thing is normal.”  
“It is an abnormal, cadet.” Hange chuckled. Jean tutted, but hoped the Section Commander hadn’t heard.  
“Not like that. I mean… It’s eyes. It looks… Sad?” Jean glanced over his shoulder at the Titan, who’s eyes were still fixed on him.  
“And it isn’t going anywhere. This thing isn’t restrained and it’s been lying there quietly, not even trying to get away. And of course, it saw what we were trying to do to it, as if-”  
“So it’s intelligent? Another one? This is amazing!” She scurried closer to the Titan’s face, giving it a friendly slap on the cheek. “You’re a special one, friend! A scientific milestone for us, you should be honoured, really! Now, would you like to come home with us like a good boy?”  
Jean stepped away, watching on and feeling slightly worried for the Titan, he would have to endure Hange’s insanity for hours more. Poor thing.  
“It’s just a dumb Titan.” Jean sighed to himself when he realised that he honestly did feel bad for the giant.  
“Oh my god oh my god, cadet, did you see that?!” Jean jumped at Hange’s shriek of joy, and looked up to her. She was staring intently at the Titan’s face,  
“Um… No?”

Hange span on her heel and over-enthusiastically grabbed jean by the shoulders. She was almost shaking him.  
“It smiled at me! It responded to my question, do you know what that means?”  
“It wants you to buy it dinner?”  
Hange chuckled and shook her head.  
“It really is intelligent! Just like you said.” She sighed, hanging her head for a second as she pulled herself together.  
“You did well today. And thank you for your help in bringing this beauty down. We will learn lots from him, I’m sure.” She let go of Jean’s shoulders, and gave him an excited salute. Jean returned it, before slowly backing away. Hange’s attention was already turned back to their Titan friend, so he figured he had been dismissed.

As he walked past, he kept his eyes on the Titan, still wary that it wasn’t tied down at all. He shuddered when, after only one step away, the Titan’s eyes fell on him, and followed his movements as he left. Jean stared for a moment, but decided to keep his head down; he didn’t need Titan eyes following him in his dreams tonight. His dreams were already haunted by other things. Other people.

Although he looked around, his horse was nowhere to be found. He guessed someone had taken it back to the barracks for him, or it had made its way back on its own. So, he had to walk.  
“Typical.” He sighed.  
But at least the walk gave him time to process that mornings events. He hadn’t expected this craziness when he had been called out of bed this morning. But the main thoughts in his head were regrets over things he should have done better. He could have distracted the Titan, and he should have waited for his fellow cadets before he shot off his grapples. And, of course, he shouldn’t have let the abnormal phase him. When he had noticed the freckles, he had to admit it had thrown him off, struck something in him that he was really trying to ignore. And it had almost got him in trouble; being knocked from its shoulder was the best case scenario, really.

He would just have to wait for Hange’s squad to bring it back to the barracks, then they could see what this Titan was all about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like this chapter is a little shorter? And took a little longer to put up, but I'm trying to finish the odd jobs at the shop I'm working at, and preparing myself for starting University at the end of this week, so it may be a little longer between chapters for a while, but hopefully still kinda regular~


	4. Terrified

Thankfully, it didn’t take Jean long to walk back to his room. He stopped by the gear room to drop off his tanks and gas, then went to flop on to his bed until the next orders came through, whatever they might be. He couldn’t find the energy in him to care at the moment. The instant he was near enough to his bed, he fell down on to it, face first, and stayed that way until a knock came at his door half an hour later.  
He was about to scramble up to meet whichever commander had been sent to rouse him for the second time that day, when he heard a timid voice from outside in the hall.  
“Jean? It’s just me, can I come in?”  
Jean let out a small sigh of relief as he pulled himself up to sit against the wall beside his bed.  
“Sure, Armin, come on in.”  
The handle creaked and the door was nudged open just enough for Armin to pass through, before he eased it shut behind himself again, standing there and watching Jean intently.

“Are you just going to stand there and stare or what?” Jean asked, successfully snapping Armin out of his concentration. He became flustered.  
“Oh, um, well, no. Sorry.”  
Jean waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about it, just come and sit down.”  
Armin hesitated, as if he wasn’t sure if Jean really wanted him to sit or not, but he sat anyway, leaving about a foot between them both. Slowly, Jean turned to look at him.  
“To what do I owe the pleasure?”  
“I just, um, wanted to ask you if you were okay.” Finally, Armin looked up and met Jean’s gaze. “Apparently, you got right up on the Titan. You aren’t hurt or anything, are you?”  
“I don’t know who you’ve been listening to, but I only stood on its shoulder for a second. I’m fine.” Jean could hear the bluntness of his voice, and winced internally. Armin picked up on it too.  
“I… I don’t want to push, but, Jean, are you sure you’re feeling alright? You sound annoyed. You sounded almost happy this morning when we rode out.” Armin shifted himself so he was facing Jean a little more, and suddenly Jean was the one who didn’t want to make eye contact. “Did something happen?”  
Jean shifted backwards.  
“Armin, I’m sorry, but nothing happened. Nothing… Happened.” The last word from his lips was little more than a whisper, but in the quiet of the room, Armin heard it. He stared at Jean, hard.

“Are you thinking about him again?”

The sudden question made Jean snap upright, glaring right at Armin. “I don’t know who you mean.” He muttered, although the crease in his brow and the sheen to his eyes told Armin he did know. Armin smiled sadly, only managing to lift one corner of his mouth.  
“I lost my parents. And my grandpa. I know how that kind of sadness looks. I even see it in Mikasa. And Eren.” Slowly, he reached out and placed a small hand on Jean’s knee. “I know you must miss him. He was your best friend. And I know you still feel guilty. But we all do, in a small way. I can’t speak for the others completely, but Marco was our friend too. We all let him down.”

Jean sat in silence, staring and Armin’s hand on his leg and blinking hard to stop the threatening tears, before eventually, he spoke.  
“It looked like him.”  
Armin frowned, not sure what Jean meant. Jean saw this, and lifted his head so he wasn’t speaking directly in to his lap. “The abnormal. It looked like Marco.”  
“…It did?”  
Jean nodded slowly. “Freckles and all.” He took a deep breath, and tried to stay calm. “I thought I had a lid on my feelings, I really thought I did, but seeing that… That bastard! Looking like him? The universe is playing some god awful joke! Someone as innocent as Marco… And a creature as foul as that thing.” He sighed, realising how he had raised his voice. He lowered his volume. “It just isn’t right.”  
Armin moved his hand from Jean’s knee to his shoulder, and gently patted it.  
“It’s okay, Jean,” he reassured, “You’re allowed to lose control sometimes. As long as it doesn’t get you killed.” 

Slowly, sensing that Jean may want some time alone, Armin stood up. With a final glance over his friend, he walked back to the door, leaving without another word. Jean was left with his feelings, and the sound of his own breathing.

For a moment, he sat there in the quiet, soaking in his emotions, before he felt the hot sting of tears, and the trail they left as they slid down his cheeks. He didn’t make a sound, just sat on the edge of his bed and gripped his knees so hard his hands were trembling.

“Marco…”  
His head fell between his shoulders. He stared in to his lap, feeling the tension in his brows as they drew together.

It was a strange mix of emotions in his head, but they were all loud and painful to him. He was angry at the universe for teasing him this way, and for dragging Marco’s memory through the dirt by allowing that Titan to even exist. He was still angry at the universe for even taking his friend away. His best friend. The only one who knew him, who truly knew him. He was angry at the space in his life, in his head, and he was tired of being so angry, exhausted even. So the tears came.

“I’m sorry, Marco. I wanted to carry on for you, but, how can I? I have to be strong for you, but I can’t… I can’t…”

A knock came at the door. Jean didn’t notice it until the second or third time the sound came. His head snapped up and his expression instantly fell to something more neutral. He sniffed fiercely, staring at the door.  
“Kirstein, you’ve been ordered to watch the abnormal. Out in the yard, ten minutes.” The gruff voice left as swiftly as it had come. Suddenly, Jean was angry again, but he didn’t have the fire in him to rant or yell. He barely even reacted, until the tears on his cheeks had dried. Once they had, he stood from his bed, and rubbed at his face to remove the stains and the pools of tears still resting in his eyes. He yanked his jacket from the bedpost where it was hanging and shrugged it on. One more deep breath, and he felt calmer, calm enough to leave his room, and head down the hall to the barracks yard.

It was quiet, and his steps were all he could hear until he approached the door. From outside, he could hear orders being called out, and among it all, Hange, squealing about something. Jean rolled his eyes, before he grabbed the door handle and shunted it open with his shoulders. In his bad mood, he swore nothing in this place worked properly. It was all old and dusty and useless and broken. But, the broken door opened for him, and he stepped out into the light of the yard.  
Hange was there, of course, running between cadets and giving them specific instructions that probably meant very little to them. The cadets were the ones throwing ropes to each other and securing their guest.

Oh yes, the Titan was there. How they had transported it, Jean had no idea, but there it was, sat in the yard. And it was sitting, not collapsed over, or nailed to the floor like others had been. It was sitting, almost patiently, while cadets ran around it’s legs, tying its ankles together and attaching its wrists to large wooden posts at its sides. Jean looked up at it, and saw that it was watching the cadets as they worked. Not hungrily, or even angrily, just quietly following them as they moved around him.  
Deciding to ignore the dumb thing, Jean walked up to Hange, who appeared to sense him before he even spoke to her. She spun around, startling Jean into stepping back.  
“There you are! Glad you made it!”  
Jean sighed, and tried to subtly move away from the enthusiastic commander. “Why am I looking after this thing?” He grunted.  
Hange appeared taken aback for a second, before she returned to herself.  
“You don’t seem to mind getting up close to him, and, he seemed pretty keen on you.” She winked.  
“It seems… What?”  
Hange took Jean by the shoulder and turned him to look at the Titan. “This morning, when you left, he got up, and looked after you. Didn’t get up and leave mind you, but he seemed upset that you’d left.”  
With a suspicious glance up at the Titan, Jean tutted.  
“That’s ridiculous.”  
“Is it?” Hange took her hand from Jean, and used both hands to wave up at the Titan. “Hey, big guy! Down here! Look, it’s your friend!”

Reluctantly, Jean looked back up at the Titan. He tried his hardest to suppress the anger he could feel bubbling inside of him at the sight of it. Slowly, the Titan turned its head, surprising Jean. He didn’t think Hange was right when she had claimed this monster was intelligent, but the way that it turned its head towards them with such purpose, on demand. It shocked him.  
The Titan glanced around for a second before its eyes fell on Hange, and then, on Jean. The sensation of those large eyes on him almost made Jean wince. He looked up, frowning, just in time to see the Titan’s expression lift. Hange was right; it was smiling. And it was smiling at him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw, Armin and Jean had a moment.
> 
> Anyways, thank you to everyone for your kind comments~ They're really what prompted me to continue with this chapter. I hope you'll stick with me, and Jean, on this journey~


	5. Ignorance

“Just keep an eye on your friend there until Commander Erwin gets here. He has to make the final call on what we do with this beauty.” Hange patted the Titan’s leg, span on her heel and wandered back inside, calling the remaining cadets to come with her. She waved over her shoulder. “You kids have fun!”

So, Hange had left Jean sitting on a scaffold platform that they had put up in the yard. It was secure enough, but Jean would have preferred something a little more permanent, although he figured they didn’t trap many Titans; it wasn’t like they would have a giant metal cage on hand or anything.  
The Titan itself was secured to the ground with ropes around its ankles, which were pegged to the earth. The scaffold was just one platform, high enough to sit just below the Titan’s eye level when it was sitting down. And the Titan still didn’t look like it wanted to escape. It was looking around itself, the corners of its mouth lifting occasionally when it heard a bird chirp or saw a butterfly pass. Occasionally, it glanced up at Jean, looking almost expectant. However, since Hange had left, Jean had avoided looking at the Titan at all, so he didn’t notice this.  
He sat on his platform, leaning against the fencing around the edge, trying to stay comfortable despite the tanks strapped to his thighs. He was staring at his hands. He frowned, and pulled at his own fingers, wringing his hands, rubbing them together so much they were starting to ache. It was something he did when he was nervous about something, or angry. Before, Marco would have appeared, as if by magic by his side, and held his hands until they were still. He would have smiled that dumb smile, and told Jean everything would be okay. He would have sat down with him and they would have chatted until Jean forgot what had bothered him in the first place. But not now. Jean sighed, knocking his head back against the wooden fencing. At least now he was alone, and could sit and think, like he had been trying to when Armin left him in his room. 

He had thought he was over Marco. He thought he had made his peace with it all, and maybe he really had. He still talked to Marco, at night, when nobody was listening and he could say everything he hadn’t had the chance to say before. It was a small comfort. And then Armin had become friendly with him. That had helped a lot. At first he felt like maybe he was replacing Marco, but no matter how abrasive Jean had been, Armin still came back, until eventually, Jean realised something. He finally realised that moving forward didn’t mean forgetting about the past. His life carried on, but it didn’t mean that Marco wasn’t missed.  
But today, all these emotions had come out of nowhere, and it felt like he was back at square one. Everything felt fresh and raw and painful in his mind, and there was no closure any more.

“It’s your fault, you know.” He muttered, finally pulling his head up to look at the giant sitting in the yard. It wasn’t looking at him anymore. In fact, as Jean shoved himself up from the platform and stepped forward, he saw that the Titan was looking closely at a pair of birds that were perched on the wall of the yard. The Titan was leaning forward slightly, its head tilted in what Jean could have called curiosity.  
Jean could see the corner of its mouth pulled up. It was smiling again. “Why do you do that? Smiling and looking and acting like a person.” He frowned. “It just makes it worse. And you probably don’t even know! You’re just some dumb Titan! You don’t understand that even your stupid existence is offensive! How it makes me torn up inside when I thought I was getting better! You mock be by sitting there, reminding me of how I can’t say anything to him anymore! I wish you were him! At least then… At least then I could take another shot at it…”  
Jean’s little outburst caught the Titan’s attention. It glanced in his direction, then turned its body fully to face him. It looked up at him, and its eyebrows creased. It looked concerned, and that only annoyed Jean more.  
“See, you’re doing it again! Why are you so…” He flailed his hands for a moment, trying to find the right word, “emotive? What, do you think you’re one of us?”  
The Titan’s expression dropped, which only confused Jean more. Slowly, it dropped more, until it looked… Sad.  
“What the hell…?” Jean stepped closer again, almost leaning over the edge of his platform. He watched on, transfixed as he saw a sheen appear over its eyes. A sheen that turned into

“Tears? Uh… can Titans cry?” Jean whispered to himself as he watched the first tears break free and stream down the Titan’s cheeks. They steamed, hissing when they rolled over the scorching hot skin. Jean suddenly felt bad. He wasn’t sure why, he wasn’t even sure what he was seeing, but something in him felt guilty. This thing was too human for its own good. He watched in bemusement as it raised a shaking hand and wiped at is eye, brushing the tears away.

Jean glanced at the door that lead inside, the door Hange had disappeared through with her cadets.  
“H-Hange? Section Commander Hange!” He stumbled for a step, before he regained his footing and found the ladder. He scrambled down it, and jumped from half way up, grunting at the landing, and staggering up again to run towards the door. As he ran he could see the dark patch on the ground where a tear had rolled away and escaped.  
Jean was mere feet away from the door, when a strange rumbling sound in the air distracted him. It was coming from behind him, so he spun back around, and was met with the Titan’s eyes, of course. It was looking down at Jean, eyes wide and desperate looking, glancing over Jean, searching for something, but Jean had no idea what. The Titan’s mouth was gaping open a small way. It looked pained, like it was stretching against the tight pull of its skin. Jean was about to ask it what it was up to, even though he knew it couldn’t tell him, when it leaned forward. It pushed one hand out further to rest on, and bent down. Jean was acutely aware that if it pulled hard enough, he was within easy biting range. He stepped back, but continued to watch.

The Titan pulled its mouth open wider, and the rumbling sound came again. It was a low, gargling sound, deep in the creature’s throat, which changed slightly as it tried to form its mouth in to some kind of shape.  
“J-”  
“What… What are you doing?!”  
The Titan narrowed its eyes at him, and Jean clamped his mouth shut, intimidated by the glare. So he waited.  
“Jaah…”  
Jean squinted, staring hard at the thing’s mouth, trying to read what it was trying to say to him.

“Jean.”

“Wh… What did you just say?”

The Titan leaned in slightly closer, its eyes now looking more hopeful. Jean only now asked himself how he was able to identify the emotions swimming in the Titan’s eyes. He shook his head, trying to slow his thoughts and focus.  
“What did you just say?” He repeated, louder this time. He even dared to step closer toward it.  
“J-Jean.” The Titan said again, still sounding shaky, but a little more confident.  
“You better not just be making noises at me, Titan.” He growled. “Do you know what you just said?”  
The Titan appeared to hesitate, recoiling a small way, before slowly, it nodded. It reached out, slowly, and poked Jean’s chest with a single finger. It was surprisingly gentle, but the force still sent Jean back a foot or two.  
Jean’s brain was still racing, trying to comprehend what was happening. But of course, if his training taught him anything it was that thinking now and asking questions later was generally the best way to make it out alive where Titans were concerned.  
“You… That’s my name.” He glared up at the Titan, and watched as it nodded.  
“Then you… You know me? What the fuck are you?”  
The Titan fell back, looking defeated. It had stopped crying now, but it looked like it could start again.  
“What is happening…” Jean muttered. He ran his hands through his hair with an aggravated sigh. “What a day, what a fucking day! First you go and throw me a Titan that looks like Marco and then-”

Jean’s hands fell to his side, limp, and he stumbled back until he hit the wall. He grabbed at the bricks, grasping for something to hold him to reality. He stared at the Titan, his head swimming. Suddenly, things started to connect in his mind, small thoughts from the day, joining in sparks of insight until they formed thoughts of their own, until the whole mess formed one coherent idea. It was an idea that Jean could barely understand; part of him wanted to scream and swear down that it wasn’t real, that he must be dreaming. Another, smaller part of him was begging that it was true, that he would have that second chance he had talked about. He was about to tear his hair out, when suddenly the door beside him was flung open from the inside, and Hange appeared. She glanced around, ignoring the Titan and beaming when her eyes fell on Jean.

“Hah! There you are, Cadet! Come on in, Commander Erwin is here, and he wants to hear from someone first hand that this big boy isn’t about to hurt anyone. That’s where you come in.” She reached out, and yanked Jean towards her, not stopping talking as she pulled him to the door and dragged him inside. “If you explain how gentle that giant is then Erwin may be convinced to let me keep him around a little longer for some fun experiments! Well, depends on what your definition of fun is but this really could be out breakthrough here!”  
Jean couldn’t protest. The strength had drained from his body and his mind wasn’t keeping up enough for him to say anything, and so he let himself be pulled down the hall, and through the door into the commander’s office.

Erwin was already there, stood behind his grand oak desk. He turned slowly upon hearing the door close. Hange saluted him, and guided Jean to the desk.  
“Ah,” Erwin smiled, and waved off the weak excuse of a salute that Jean offered him. “Cadet Kirstein, is it?” Jean nodded dumbly.  
“Hange has told me a lot about you, Kirstein.” Erwin narrowed his eyes slightly, then smiled again, “Please, take a seat.” He signaled to both visitors to sit down. Hange happily flopped down in to the chair, looking right at home. Jean all but collapsed into it, still staring at a point just beyond Erwin’s shoulder. Erwin took his own seat behind the desk, leaning forward and lacing his fingers just in front of his mouth.

“Now please, tell me about this abnormal Titan.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, I kinda struggled with this chapter, so hopefully with this done, the rest of the story shouldn't be so tricky? I don't know~
> 
> Also, I may take short breaks from this to do some JeanMarco oneshots, maybe? So, if progress looks slow here, that's probably where I am~


	6. Closer To You

Jean could feel their eyes on him. They were watching him, expectantly, but his brain was lagging behind. He opened his mouth a few times, hoping some words, even a sound would tumble out, but nothing came. He balled his fists in his lap, frowning.  
Hange went to tap him on the shoulder, to push him for some kind of response, but Erwin looked over to her, and with a subtle shake of his head, he warned her not to. Hange sighed, but obeyed, and instead sat on her hands. Jean was thankful that nobody was rushing him. Slowly, his mind caught up with him, and he was able to speak.

“It… The Titan, it’s not… It’s not an abnormal. I don’t think.”

The gasp from his right side was clearly audible. Erwin lowered his hands from his mouth. His expression was a serious one.  
“What makes you think this?” He leaned forward in his chair. The motion blocked out the light from the window behind him that had been landing on Jean. Now it was a little darker for him, he felt like he could look up. He met the Commander’s stern gaze.  
“Um… Like I said, I’m not a hundred percent sure but, I believe… Sir, I believe that it’s a person. Someone like Eren.”  
There was a pause.  
“Someone like Eren?”  
“You mean there’s a person in there?!” Hange exclaimed. “I thought we were finally going to cut open a real one! Just my luck!”  
Erwin rolled his eyes, “Hange, please.” He turned to Jean. “What exactly makes you think that this is another human?”  
Jean shook his head. “Uh, just, it started crying? And it… they spoke to me.”  
“Spoke?”  
“Yes, sir. They said my name.”  
Although he tried to hide it, Erwin was shocked. His eyes widened a fraction, and his mouth was hanging open now. Hange was a little less subtle with her surprise.

“Wait! No! This is still an important discovery! If a human in Titan form is able to manipulate a Titan body to speak then maybe regular Titans have vocal chords too? We need to ask them once we get them out! Oh, but how will we get them out? Didn’t Eren’s body deteriorate around him? Hmm, maybe we should ask Levi-”  
“Section Commander, please.” Hange froze. Slowly, she straightened up, and stepped back, standing behind the chair, resting her elbows on the head rest and trying to contain herself.  
“If you are sure that they said your name, is it safe to assume that it is someone you know?”  
Jean bit his lip, and nodded.  
“Did they say anything else? Or perhaps give you any indication as to who they are?”

Jean felt a lump return to his throat. He didn’t want to say anything out loud. Saying it meant that it was real, that this was really happening. If he could just keep it in his head for a little while longer, maybe he could wake up from the nightmare this day had turned in to.  
Of course, eventually, he told them. How could he ignore his commander? Hange had almost cried in joy and ran from the room, shouting something about fetching Levi. Erwin stared after her, before slowly turning to Jean again.  
“Thank you,” he said. It was quiet, and sincere, and Jean appreciated it as he tried to hold back the tears. “I appreciate this must be hard for you. I understand you were good friends with Marco.”  
Jean nodded.  
“This could still be the scientific breakthrough we were hoping for.”  
Jean managed to bring his head up and meet Erwin’s eyes for the first time. He swallowed hard.  
“You aren’t going to let Hange… do anything to him are you? If… If he is really in there?”  
Erwin smiled, “Of course not. We won’t do anything you don’t agree with. You know him the best, after all. But, if I may, don’t get your hopes up. He may be in there, but he may not be the same as you remember him. I want you to bare that in mind, alright?”  
Jean stared hard into Erwin’s eyes, and was surprised by how earnest he looked.  
“I understand. Thank you.”  
Erwin smiled, and nudged his chair out from his desk. He stood up and came around to the front, bending down slightly and giving Jean a gentle pat on the shoulder.  
“Come on, now, we should catch Section Commander Hange before she does anything dangerous.”  
Jean felt the corner of his lip turn upwards against his will as he stood, and followed Erwin to the door, which his Commander held open for him. They both returned to the yard, to find Hange emerging from a door a little further down the same building, dragging a disgruntled looking Levi by the arm. He managed to find his footing long enough to dig his feet in and snatch his arm back. He dusted down his jacket.  
“I don’t get it. I thought this… thing.” He waved in the Titan’s direction “Was your department.”  
Erwin strode over, effectively leaving Jean to scurry after him. “Levi, Hange does actually need your help. Although I expect she didn’t explain that to you?”  
Hange giggled, and looked away sheepishly. Levi glared up at Erwin. He sighed.  
“Fine. What do you want?”

Erwin explained the situation as best he could to Levi, turning to Jean occasionally for confirmation. He thankfully left out the fact that the person inside this Titan was the most important person to Jean and that Jean just wanted them to stop talking already and put him out of his confusion.

Once Levi was finally convinced of the situation, he relented.  
“Alright.” He sighed again, turning to look over the Titan, who was still sitting patiently, watching them. It was watching them, concerned, and followed Levi with his eyes as he headed indoors to collect his blades. Erwin took Hange to one side to inform her of the decision he and Jean had made, about Jean having the final say in whatever they decide to do to the Titan. That left Jean standing by himself.  
He looked up when he felt large brown eyes on him. He turned around, and looked up, and there it was, looking down at him, a sad but hopeful look in its eyes. Jean sighed, and wandered closer.  
“It better be you in there.” He muttered. “I can’t deal with another surprise today.”  
The Titan smiled, or, tried to; the tightness of its skin made it hard to move its face too much. It was a smile that really was so much like Marco that it made Jean’s heart ache. The Titan even had dimples in its cheeks. “It’d be nice just to see that smile for real again. I missed it. Ha, I don’t even know if you’ll remember this. If you’re in there. If. God, I can’t get my hopes up. Just. Don’t look at me like that, right?”

The Titan frowned, looking upset, but did as Jean asked, even pushing itself away from Jean, as if to give him space. Jean gave an exasperated smile, but his attention was taken when the door to the store room was opened again and Levi emerged, wiping at a blade with a white handkerchief. He wandered over, looking bored already. Erwin rolled his eyes, and Hange urged him to hurry up.  
Erwin motioned for Jean to come closer. “Are you ready?”  
“I just want to get this over with already.”  
Erwin nodded, and turned to Levi, who nodded in agreement before he turned and went towards the scaffold.  
The Titan watched Levi intently. Jean was worried that it would try and get away. Hange stepped in, though Jean wasn’t sure if this was actually a good thing.

She ran up to the Titan, hugging its knee.  
“Hi there, Marco, is it? I’m very sorry, but this might hurt a little, okay? And, you may lose an arm or two but honestly you’ll be able to walk around like a normal sized person! Although it is a shame to lose such an interesting specimen, Commander Erwin has decided and what he says goes! So when you get out, I want to hear all about what’s going on inside there, alright? Alright!”  
Levi called down to them. “Are you done down there?”  
Hange was about to answer, when Erwin tugged her away.  
“Go ahead, Levi!” He replied. Jean came and stood beside them both as well, and they all looked up, watching Levi as he got ready. He steadied his footing on the platform. gripped the blades tighter, and jumped from the platform.  
Jean could see Hange wince beside him as the blades sliced in to the flesh, carving straight through, sending blood and steam swirling out. The Titan clenched its fists, and a muffled cry could be heard in the yard.  
“Oh, no. Poor thing.” Hange whimpered. Erwin sighed and pulled her closer with an arm over her shoulder. Jean finally thought he understood how Hange felt when she had to experiment on Titans; watching someone you love in such pain. Jean wasn’t even sure who this was and he was torn up, Hange must be in turmoil when conducting her experiments.  
Watching carefully, Jean was sure that he could see streaming tears down the Titan’s face through the steam. It was biting its lip and its eyes were shut tight, even after Levi hopped away again, landing neatly back on the scaffold platform, before sliding down the ladder, and walking off.  
“I’ve done my part.” He muttered as he passed Erwin and the others. He disappeared back inside, leaving Jean, Erwin and Hange to watch as the Titan body seemed to freeze for a second, before it fell limp, and collapsed forward in a cloud of dust and steam.  
In a fit of emotion, Jean ran forward the second the body hit the ground. He couldn’t get too close for the heat radiating from the rapidly disintegrating corpse, but he could get close enough to peer over the shoulder as the heat dissipated. He could hear Hange calling out behind him, warning him of the heat but he didn’t care. He needed to see, properly.  
He clambered up on the arm, using that instead to run up onto its back. He went straight to the neck, and could clearly see the slice that Levi had removed.

Through the steam, Jean saw a shadow. A shadow of someone’s back. Wide shoulders, dark hair, all covered in small strings of sinew. His heart jumped, and stopped, and exploded, all at once. He could barely find his voice to call out when he wanted.  
“Hello? A-anyone there?” He would refuse to say Marco’s name. Not until he knew. He waited with baited breath in the silence until  
“J-Jean?”

“Marco? Marco is that you? Is that really you?”

The steam cleared more and Jean could see him. Right there. It was him, Marco, knee deep in Titan. His clothes were damp, from sweat or Titan fluids, Jean didn’t care. His shirt and jacket were still torn as they had been in Trost; his shoulder and arm were exposed.  
Jean ran up to him, losing his footing more than once on the uneven body. He grabbed on to Marco’s shoulder and used him to pull himself around. The second he saw that face, that perfect, freckled face, he cried. Marco let out a surprised moan as Jean all but tackled him with a hug.  
“Marco. Marco!” Slowly, loosening up his stiff muscles, Marco reached up and hugged Jean back.  
“I’m so sorry Jean.”  
“Don’t you dare apologise, you idiot! Just don’t do it again!”  
“Alright, alright.” Marco sounded like he was actually laughing, and Jean didn’t get it, but he didn’t care; just holding Marco again was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, university essays get in the way of everything. And I couldn't make my mind up as to where I wanted this story to go but I think I have something I like now~
> 
> And I was working on a little one shot nonsense. But I am still here~
> 
> Hope you enjoyed the chapter, see you in the next one!


	7. You Are Lost

Jean wanted to stay there, and hold Marco forever. He was scared of letting him go and losing him all over again.

He did eventually stop hugging him, leaning back and holding him tight by the shoulders so he could look at Marco’s face. He was searching for anything that looked wrong, like an injury, through teary eyes.  
“Is it… is it really you?”  
Marco, who had been staring in to Jean’s eyes this whole time, blinked slowly and nodded, a shy smile slowly creeping on to his face.  
“Yes, Jean.” He sighed. It sounded like it was starting to hurt him to speak, so even though Jean was desperate to as what, why, who, when, and everything in between, he was fine with the response for now. He could ask later.

The tears finally broke free from Jean’s eyes, slowly rolling down his cheeks and clearing his vision slightly. He could see Marco clearer now. He looked tired. The sparkle was still in his eyes, but it looked dull. Looking at more of his face, Jean saw that the right side of his face was littered with white scars, jagged lines that stuck out against his tanned skin. With a glance, he could see that his arm and shoulder were covered in the same way. Slowly, he reached out to touch Marco’s face, to touch one of th scars. He was timid in his touch, and barely even touched one of the marks before taking his hand back. He was scared that if he was too rough he might hurt Marco, or he would break the skin, the thin illusion would disappear, and Marco would slump back down, incomplete as he was before.  
Fresh tears escaped Jean’s eyes as he remembered what he had seen when he had found Marco back in Trost. He couldn’t put himself through that again. So he kept his hands to himself.

“I’m glad you’re okay.” Marco whispered, his voice now rasping.  
“You don’t get to say that to me!” Jean snapped. His anger came from nowhere and disappeared as fast as it had arrived. Jean winced when he realised he had shouted at Marco. That was probably the last thing he needed right now. He would have to keep his own emotions in better order for a while, so Marco felt safe. He looked back to Marco, worried, but Marco shrugged it off with his usual ease. Jean finally noticed the tears stains down Marco’s cheeks. Had he been crying this whole time? Jean mentally smacked himself for not paying better attention.

Jean sat up a little straighter, and realised he could finally hear the rest of the world over his own thoughts. He could hear someone calling up to them from the yard. The voice was strong, clear, undeniably Erwin’s. He was asking them to come down.  
“Can you get out or what?” Jean asked, pushing himself up to stand. Marco laughed quietly.  
“I don’t know.”

Jean stood back, and watched as Marco steadied both hands on the side of the opening Levi had carved. He hissed at how hot the flesh was to touch. He pushed himself up on his arms. It looked like his legs were still caught inside, and Jean was about to ask Marco if he needed a hand, when there was a loud, wet snapping sound, and Marco lurched up. With his legs free he was able to clamber out of the body. Whether he was still weak, or lost his footing on the rapidly disintegrating body beneath them, Marco stumbled. Jean reacted quickly, and reached out to catch him. He caught under Marco’s arms, and pulled him close. Marco’s head was pushed against Jean’s chest. Jean didn’t want to rush Marco, so he stood there, and held Marco.  
He only looked down when he felt a wet warmth seeping through his shirt. He looked down and saw Marco, clutching at his shirt, and burying his face deep in to it. His back was trembling, and Jean knew Marco was crying. Slowly, Jean moved his hands and rested them on Marco’s back.  
“Come on, Marco,” he sighed, trying his best to hold back his own tears, “You’re okay now. And the Commander is waiting for us. Okay?”  
Marco nodded against Jean’s chest. Jean slipped his hand under Marco’s and pulled them from his shirt. Marco sniffed and allowed himself to be led back down to the ground, clutching Jean’s hand tightly. Once they stepped on to the firmness of the flagstones, Jean decided he wouldn’t take Marco and further. It felt like he was struggling to stand as it was. As they waited for Erwin to come to them, Jean watched Marco as he stared at the body which used to be his home. Marco looked confused, but curious, and peered carefully at the body as it burned away. He jumped when Erwin cleared his throat from behind them. The two cadets turned around, and saw Erwin stood calmly behind them. It looked like he was about to speak, but Hange jumped on them first.

“You must be Marco Bott! My, we’ve heard a lot about you! I hope you remember me, I’m Section Commander Hange Zoe. Ah, you were going to be such an interesting specimen, but now you can tell us about it!”  
Marco looked to Jean, hoping his friend could get Hange to go away, but Jean wasn’t sure he knew how. Thankfully for both of them, a hand came down on Hange’s shoulder. She instantly stood up straight and clamped her mouth shut. It was Erwin.  
“Now, now, let the poor boy breathe.” Hange nodded, smiling sheepishly, and Erwin turned to the boys.  
“I apologise for Hange here. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Marco. My name is Erwin Smith; the Commander of the Survey Corps. Would you mind coming with me?”  
Again Marco looked to Jean, but Erwin noticed. He smiled. “I can promise you, you’re in safe hands. We just need to take you to medical before we do anything else. You look uneasy on your feet. I’m afraid Jean won’t be able to come with you but he can wait outside if you want him to.”  
Marco nodded. “Y-yes, please.” His voice was cracking, and he winced. Jean nodded.  
“I’ll be right by the door when you come out, okay?” He gently patted Marco’s left shoulder. Erwin offered a hand to Marco, and lead him to the door, walking at the pace Marco was comfortable with. He looked over his shoulder before they went inside, and gave Jean a short wave, thanking him wordlessly for everything. Erwin held the door for him as he walked through, then shut it behind them, and they were gone.

Jean stood, confused and tired in the middle of the yard, staring at the door Marco had vanished behind. He listened as Hange called out to the cadets who had gathered in a small crowd at the first sight of steam from the Titan body. She was asking for them to start cleaning up the mess it would make, and to look out for anything she could keep and study. They hurriedly set to work around him, rushing to their new duties while Jean just stood.

His best friend was alive, so why wasn’t he happy?

“He won’t be the same, you know.” The sudden voice at Jean’s side made him jump. He looked around, then down, and saw Captain Levi, stood there, arms folded.  
“I know, Commander Smith already warned me.”  
“Did he now?” Levi sounded almost amused.  
“I’m worried about him.” Jean continued. He was sure that the Captain didn’t really care, but there was nobody else around to listen to him. “He looked so ill. Eren was never this bad.”  
“Eren didn’t die.” Even the word made Jean wince. Levi continued. “Lost an arm and a leg sure, but your friend there, as far as I know, was dead. Besides, I’m sure this Titan shifting effects everyone differently.” Jean sighed, wondering why Levi was suddenly so talkative. “Don’t hold it against him. Just be glad you get this second chance with him.” Levi’s voice faded out, and he sounded almost sad, more emotional than Jean had ever seen him.  
“Thanks.” Jean muttered. He shifted uncomfortably on his feet, unsure of what to do now.  
“I don’t know what you’re waiting around for. Your friend needs you.” Surprised, Jean looked to Captain Levi. Levi didn’t even meet his eyes, just sighed, exasperated. “Go and wait for him. He needs you.”  
“Uh, y-yes sir.” Jean stuttered, and stumbled off, heading to the door on the other side of the yard. Levi watched him, unaware of the sad smile on his lips.

Jean leaned against the white washed wall, stood between two windows outside the large double doors to the medical ward. The time alone gave him the space he needed to think. He was happy that Marco was back again, and that he had the second chance Levi was talking about. There was so much he had still wanted to tell Marco and now he could say it. Then, of course, he was worried for Marco, for how the time in Titan form had effected his body, and his mind. And what about his wounds, did his arm still work properly? What about his brain?  
He wanted to ask Marco what happened in Trost, and what happened to make him a Titan, he needed to know everything, but he had to be careful. He had to go at Marco’s pace. But he wanted to go fast, get it all out right now, now that he knew either of them could die at any moment. He didn’t want this to happen again. He ran his hands through his hair. He wanted to scream or cry or something, but he didn’t have the energy.

It had been a long day, and it was only noon.

The double door beside him cracked open, and Jean snapped his head to it. He saw Petra step through, surprisingly, holding Marco gently by the elbow and leading him out into the hall.  
“Here he is.” Petra sang quietly, letting Marco free so he could step closer to his friend. Marco stepped straight over to Jean, standing close enough to almost lean on Jean, though Jean could see he was more sturdy on his feet now.  
“He should be okay. There’s no real damage done, just some aches and pains while he gets used to being normal sized again. But, just keep an eye on him. If anything does start to go wrong, let Commander Zoe know right away.”  
Jean nodded, “Right. Thank you.”  
Petra nodded happily. “No problem. Let me know if you need anything else.” She waved shortly to them both as she headed back to the door. “It was nice to meet you, Marco.”  
Marco nodded. “You too. Thank you.” Jean was glad to hear Marco sounded less sick. Petra wished them both well and disappeared back in to the ward, easing the door shut and leaving the pair in the silence of the hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, thank you everyone for all the nice comments!  
> It makes me so happy to know people are enjoying this story, and even though it's tricky finding time to write these chapters sometimes, I'm still really having fun writing this~ 
> 
> Mostly I'm enjoying the random kind of cameos of people, just cause I can flesh them out a little more and shamelessly indulge my headcannons.


	8. Us

Jean knew now was his chance to ask his questions, and say what he needed to. But his brain was still playing catch up to him and offered him no words. Instead, he was left to stare dumbly at Marco, until it was Marco who broke the silence.  
“They, um, they want to call me in tomorrow for some tests and questioning and stuff,” he rubbed the back of his neck nervously and glanced away for a second, “This afternoon I can do what I like, so long as I stay in the barracks.”  
Jean nodded, “Right, he muttered, “So, what would you like?”  
Marco looked around, clearly coming up short. Jean sighed, his eyes falling down Marco’s body, coming to rest on his boots. That’s when he realised.  
“Do, uh… Come back to my room. I have some clothes that might fit you. They’re definitely cleaner.” He tried a smile, and was glad to see the corner of Marco’s mouth lift, the tiniest of dimples forming.  
“Right,” he nodded. “Thank you, Jean.”  
Marco saying his name sounded so good after having to go so long without hearing it. Slowly, Jean turned, and headed down the hall. He only made it a few steps before there was a yelp behind him and a sudden weight at his back. He whipped around and saw Marco clutching his jacket, using Jean to hold himself up. Jean narrowed his eyes.  
“I thought they said you were okay?”  
Marco walked his hands slowly up Jean’s chest until just one was left resting on his shoulder, gently propping himself up.  
“Sorry, I guess we stood still for too long. I’ll be okay walking.”  
Jean wasn’t wholly convinced. Before Marco could protest, Jean grabbed Marco’s left arm and yanked it over his shoulder, holding Marco’s waist with his other hand. Marco yelped in surprise, but was quick to lean in to Jean’s side. Slowly, Jean walked them down the halls to the sleeping quarters, to his room. They walked the entire way in silence.

Once they arrived, Jean sat Marco carefully down on the bed, shut the door behind them, and began rummaging through his wardrobe for his larger clothes, which would hopefully fit Marco. Marco sat down on the bed, staring at his feet. He listened to Jean sighing as he searched, before, again, he was the one to break the silence.  
“Jean, can we talk?”  
Jean hesitated, but didn’t turn around. “About what?”  
Marco sighed in a way that Jean recognised all too well. He sometimes wondered if that sigh was reserved especially for him.  
“Jean, I died. You’re my best friend, you must have something to say,” his voice lowered to a whisper, “I know I do.”  
“Then you go first, if you have so much to say.”

Marco hesitated before he spoke, staring hard at the back of Jean’s head and hoping that he would just turn around.  
“I’m sorry, Jean. I’m sorry for leaving you all alone. You meant so much to me and I never got to say goodbye. And it’s hard for me to be excited to see you again, I am, I promise, I’ve never been happier! But, everything hurts and I have a lot to readjust to right now. I don’t want you to take that personally, but it feels like maybe you are.”  
Jean scoffed. It was reassuring to hear those words right from Marco himself. He had been worried that Marco, aside from crying when he first escaped, hadn’t shown much of any emotion.  
“Jean?” Marco sounded concerned, and it hurt Jean’s heart.  
“I get it. You’ve got to readjust; I can’t even imagine what you’ve been through. But why did we only find you today? Why didn’t you come back sooner? It’s been months. And you gotta understand how much this is messing me up. I thought I was dealing, I was learning how to cope without you, and now you show up out of nowhere.”  
“So… Did you want me to come back or not?”  
“I don’t...” Jean sighed. He rubbed his hands over his face, and finally turned around to face Marco. “I don’t want to be mad at you, right? There are just some… Emotions, that are making this a little harder. Just, understand I’m a little confused by all this, I just need time.”

Marco looked up to Jean and scooted forwards on the mattress, concern etched in his face.  
“Jean?” His voice was quiet, and clearly worried. It was the most emotion he had shown since they had left the yard. Jean had to look away.  
“God, don’t say my name like that.”  
Carefully, Marco stood from the bed and stepped towards his friend.  
“Jean, what is it?” Marco’s voice was a whisper now, as if he was scared of startling Jean. Jean was still looking away, and Marco had to coax him back with a gentle finger and thumb under his chin, nudging him. Jean reluctantly complied, turning his face back a small way and looking to Marco’s eyes, with tears streaming from his own. Marco was about to ask him what was going on, when Jean finally lost what little control he had of his emotions.

“Marco, I loved you! I… I love you. You were the only good thing in this world, and I fell for you! Maybe just because there we were stuck together, maybe just because circumstances were so shit, it doesn’t matter! I fell for you, Marco, you and your dumb smile and how you care about everything and everyone even when they don’t deserve it! Even… even me. You didn’t leave me even though I’m an asshole, to everyone. I was so mean to you at the start but you still came back and forgave me! You were always there, just by my side to tell me I was okay, and out of nowhere you were beautiful to me, inside and out!  
I wanted to tell you, I wanted to tell you so many things, and we had so much time! But then… But then you were gone! You left me just as quickly as I found you. And then there was nothing left to give me hope. You were all I had Marco, you were important to me! More than you ever knew. That why I don’t want to be angry with you, but it’s also why I can’t help it!”

Jean finally paused for breath. He let his words sink in. He was breathing heavily, and staring intently at a spot on the floor. He wasn’t brave enough to meet Marco’s eyes. He only heard the quiet gasp Marco made.  
“Jean,” Marco really was whispering now, and Jean felt like he was standing closer than he had been before. Slowly, Jean looked up, still scared of what he would find. He was shocked to find Marco’s deep brown eyes glistening with tears. But he was smiling a small, shy smile. “Is that true?”  
Jean swallowed the lump that had appeared in his throat. “Uh, y-yeah.” Jean was ready to get slapped in the face, or yelled at or abandoned all over again. The fierce hug that Marco tackled him with was not on that list. He felt strong arms wrap tight around his waist and he was almost lifted from the ground. He steadied himself by holding Marco’s shoulders, which he could feel were trembling.  
“Jean, I wanted to hear that for so long, you have no idea!”  
Jean was stunned. “So, you don’t hate me?”  
Marco laughed, a real, joyful laugh. He loosened his grip on Jean’s waist and stood back up to full height, looking into Jean’s eyes. The tears were flowing freely now.  
“Of course I don’t hate you! There’s a reason I kept coming back to you, Jean.”  
Jean froze. “Y-you liked me too?”  
Marco nodded. “I can’t believe this,” he sighed.  
They were both giggling like idiots now, Jean holding Marco’s face in his hands. He was just staring at him, relishing in this second chance that Captain Levi had told him about. Marco looked just as happy to be held there.  
Slowly, the smile slipped from Jean’s face, and he looked more intently at Marco’s face. He tried to make a mental map of every scar and freckle and bit of dirt that covered his tanned checks. He felt himself falling forward, inch by slow inch, until he felt their foreheads gently bump together. He was so relieved that he had finally to have finally put his feelings in to words that he almost felt a little better. He was glad Marco wasn’t freaking out, and maybe this would make it easier for them to move forward with everything out in the open. He was still deeply confused about all of this, but, maybe he was getting over having Marco back. He stroked a thumb absent-mindedly over Marco’s cheek, and hummed happily to himself when Marco came closer and nuzzled in to the crook of his neck.  
“Do you think we can get better?” Marco asked. His voice was muffled by Jean’s neck, but it was so quiet, Jean heard him perfectly. He hugged Marco tightly in response, stroking the back of his head with one hand, running his hand through the dark mess of hair. After such a crazy day, this was a welcome break.

Marco pulled his head back, and smiled at Jean. It was a smile Jean had missed for months. He sighed. Marco slid his hand under Jeans, and tangled their fingers together. Their heads were still millimetres apart. Slowly, Jean leant in, closing the gap. The kiss he left on Marco’s lips was short, chaste, but that didn’t stop Jean’s heart pounding with the excitement. It was something he had wanted for so long, to finally have done it was like a dream come true. Marco smiled shyly as Jean looked back to him. Jean nodded.  
“Yeah, I think we can get better.” He hesitated, before adding, “We both need some time to readjust. But, we’ll be okay.” He added emphasis with a squeeze of Marco’s waist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, progress on this might pick up since this is now my submission for National Novel Writing Month~ Thanks again for turning me on to that~ Glad they accept fanfiction~
> 
> But since that means this has to be quiet a long story, the plot may take a slightly different direction to what I had intended? But hey, it's an adventure~


	9. We weren't alone

They ended up standing in the middle of Jean’s room for what must have been an hour, before Jean remembered Marco’s clothes. He peeled himself from Marco, eliciting a whine from the other, and rummaged further in to his wardrobe he finally found a shirt and pair of trousers that were a size or two too large for him.  
“Perfect,” he held the clothes up in triumph, before throwing them to Marco. “I never fitted these anyway. You can have them.”  
Marco buried his face in the fabric, smiling. “Thank you,” he whispered.  
Jean sat down on his bed. “Go ahead, get changed.” Marco blushed. Even against his dark skin, Jean could see it. Jean rolled his eyes. “I’ve seen it all before. Relax. Then once you’re done, we can do whatever you want.”  
Marco nodded. He shrugged his jacket off, and kicked off his boots. He turned his back to Jean while he tugged his shirt over his head and dropped it to the floor. Jean watched, though it was painful. The scars, as he suspected, continued all around his chest and back, clearly marking out the part of him that had been torn away. Jean couldn’t imagine how painful it must have been. Even calling it painful felt like an unjust understatement.  
Jean demonstrated a little self-control, looking away while Marco changed in to the fresh trousers. He would be lying to himself if he said he hadn’t glanced at Marco changing before, while they were in the Training Corps together. Marco almost fell, and Jean was up from the bed in seconds flat to help hold him up while he stepped back in to his boots. Then, he helped him sit back down on the bed next to him. He didn’t think twice now about Marco’s hand coming to rest on his leg.  
“What do you want to do, then?” He asked, nuzzling his face in Marco’s hair when he found it right beside his shoulder.  
Marco sat, thinking, before he answered. “Are the others here?”  
“Others?”  
“From the hundred and fourth?”  
“Oh. Right. Uh, Eren, Mikasa, Armin. Ymir followed Christa here of course. Connie and Sasha, too. Bertholdt and Reiner joined as well. Though Annie went to the MPs. Thank God. I couldn’t deal with that bitch around me anymore. Especially out here.” Jean was so involved in his thoughts he didn’t feel Marco tense in his arm. “Why?  
Marco stuttered a little. “D-Do you think we could go and see them?”  
“Of course. I mean, I think I know where they are. They should be around the mess hall before dinner about now.”  
Marco nodded against Jean’s shoulder. Jean pulled himself out from under him, and offered him a hand as he stood. Marco took it with a smile, and let Jean, once again, lead him down the halls. He was beginning to find his bearings around the barracks, but he wasn’t about to let go of Jean’s hand either. Marco made a request to steer clear of the yard, which Jean appreciated. He wasn’t too keen on walking past a Titan corpse either. They took the long way through the main building until they came out the back to the isolated building which was the mess hall. The lights were on inside, and people were beginning to turn up for their evening meal. Dinner was relatively early around the barracks.  
The closer they got, the closer Marco clung to Jean’s side. Jean held his hand tight, and muttered reassurance to him. When they reached the door, Marco asked if he could wait outside.  
“Are you sure about that? You don’t know anybody else here.”  
“I’ll be okay for a minute.”  
Jean acted like a concerned mother, asking Marco twice more before he agreed to go inside and fetch the others while Marco sat on the step.

Jean slid in through the open door, scanning the rows of benches for the people he needed to collect. Armin, Mikasa and Eren were, of course, all sat in the corner together. Sasha was there too, pestering Mikasa for more food, and Connie was there, egging her on. Christa was on another table, with Ymir close beside her. Bertholdt and Reiner were on that same table, Reiner talking to Bertholdt in hushed tones. Personally, Jean didn’t want to ask them outside, but if he was going to get Christa and Ymir, he would have to ask them too. He wasn’t up for a confrontation with Reiner, not tonight.

He went to Eren’s table first. Armin noticed him as he walked over. He waved with a smile, and greeted Jean when he arrived.  
“Good evening. How are you doing? We haven’t seen you all day.”  
Jean smiled half-heartedly. “Yeah, about that. Could you come outside for a second?”  
Armin looked confused, but of course, he agreed. He slid himself out from between the bench and the table, which of course, caught the attention of the others sat at the table. They looked up at him.  
Eren tugged at Armin’s sleeve. “Armin? Where are you going?”  
Armin looked up to Jean, wondering what he should do. Jean shook his head.  
“It’s alright, Eren, you should really come too. In fact, all of you should, if you… If you don’t mind.”  
Eren looked at Jean, just as confused as Armin, but nodded. He tapped Mikasa on the shoulder, and nodded towards Jean. Sasha looked up at them all, the half a loaf of bread that Mikasa had offered her still stuck in her mouth. She tore it out.  
“Why are we all leaving? If you’re going, can I finish your meals? Oh, Eren can I please have your vegetables?!”  
“Sorry, Sasha, you’re coming too.” Jean sighed, a laugh in his voice. “And bring Connie, alright?” He glanced over to the other table. “Wait here a second though, I need to get the others.”  
Armin nodded, and asked everyone else to stay for a second while Jean reluctantly walked over to the next table. He approached Christa first. He liked Christa, as almost everyone did, and Ymir was alright, but they hadn’t spoken much. He gently tapped Christa on the shoulder, gently, for fear of Ymir’s wrath.  
“Oh, good evening, Jean.” Her voice was gentle, and her smile genuine, “What can we do for you?”  
“Would you step outside with me for a second?” Christa turned to Ymir, and Ymir looked to Jean. “The others are coming, too” He nodded to the other table. Ymir gave a glance, and turned back to Christa, nodding in agreement. Jean thanked them.  
Slowly, he turned to the two men sat on the other bench, Bertholdt and Reiner.  
“You two, as well,” he muttered. Reiner nodded, and Bertholdt looked to Reiner, confused. But before he could ask Jean what was going on, he had walked back to Eren’s table to take them all outside.

Most soldiers had turned up for their food already, so it was quiet outside, and it was only now beginning to get dark, so with the warm yellow light emanating from the open doors and the windows of the hall, you could see clearly.  
Jean made sure he was the first one out, so he could check Marco was still there. He was relieved to see Marco perched on the wooden steps by the door. He looked back to make sure that the others had all made it, before jumping ahead down the steps to tell Marco they were here.  
He stepped down and knelt down beside Marco, shaking his shoulder gently. Marco blinked, coming back to reality from whatever day dream he had been having.  
“Everyone is here,” he said in a hushed voice. Marco smiled, and patted Jean’s hand. Jean helped him to stand, and turned him around as the small crowd organised themselves just outside the hall doors. Armin, of course, was the first to notice.  
He clapped his hands over his mouth. “Oh. Oh my God.” Eren looked at Armin, then followed the blonde’s gaze. When his eyes landed on Marco, he gasped loudly, and grabbed Armin’s arm, shaking him. Soon, everyone was staring. There were hushed whispers and sharp intakes of breath, people nudging whoever was stood beside them. Sasha was the loudest.  
“Marco?! Marco is that you?” She nudged through the crowd, outright shoving Connie to the side. She ran down to Marco, stealing him from Jean’s arms. She shook him, until Jean got concerned and asked her to back off before Marco threw up or got whiplash.  
Eren stepped forwards, frowning. “Wait, wait. What happened? We all… We thought-” He averted his eyes.  
“We thought you died. In Trost.” Mikasa finished his sentence for him, as blunt as ever.  
“Yeah, how are you here?” Eren continued. “In Trost things looked pretty… Final.”  
Marco winced, retreating back in to Jean’s arm. Christa did something similar, clinging to Ymir’s side in case she began to cry.  
Jean stepped forwards, making every else back away a little and give Marco some space.  
“That Titan we brought in earlier,” he paused, wondering if any of them would put two and two together. None of them said anything, so he carried on, “Marco was inside it. Like Eren.”  
Eren stared at Jean in disbelief. “Another Shifter?” His eyes snapped to Marco. “Is it true, Marco?”  
Jean didn’t look, but could feel Marco tense beside him, and the grip on his hand tightened.  
“We don’t know what happened, alright? Section Commander Hange is gonna try and figure it out tomorrow. Just, know he’s back, okay?” There was a moment of quiet, before everyone came closer, to welcome Marco back.

Armin hugged him gently, Sasha and Connie hugged him and Christa teared up when she saw him. They all stood around talking to him, and he was happy to see everyone again. He asked them what they had all been doing since Trost, and was surprised when he heard how that had turned out. Eren explained that he could turn in to a Titan as well and that was how they sealed up the wall again. They also explained that Mina, and Thomas, and others hadn’t made it out of Trost. It was all a lot for Marco to take in, and eventually, he had to take a moment out. He tapped Jean on the shoulder.  
“I need to breath for a second.”  
Jean smiled. “No problem.”  
“Thanks.” As discreetly as he could, Marco left one small kiss on Jean’s cheek. Jean blushed, but smiled to himself as Marco walked away. A few people asked where he was going, but Jean explained he would be back in a second, that he just needed some space for a second. Marco wandered just a few feet away, still in the light of the building, but far enough away from the chatter that he could hear his own thoughts.  
He was relieved that he and Jean were okay now. He understood that they both needed time to get used to what was happening. It would take time, and understanding on both sides, but that didn’t mean that they couldn’t just enjoy this time together, before tomorrow and whatever news it brought. And it was since to see everyone again. He knew that he had to remember, though. He would have to give answers tomorrow and he wasn’t sure he had them all yet. Everything from Trost was blank in his mind. As far as he was concerned, he had gone from Trost, to waking up in the yard of the Survey Corps’ barracks this afternoon. He got flashes of memory from the Titan’s mind, like how he had said Jean’s name. The only thing he could still remember, with painful clarity, was how he had died.  
He hadn’t brought it up to Jean yet because he was dealing with enough, and they were coping now. And he wasn’t sure who to tell, or who would believe him, or if it was even true, what he had heard the two men discussing on the rooftop.  
He was so involved in his own thoughts that he didn’t notice Bertholdt and Reiner slowly wander up to him. When he felt the shadow cast over him, he glanced up, and when he saw who it was, he stumbled backwards.  
“R-Reiner, Bertholdt!”  
“Good evening, Marco.” Reiner said flatly as he came to a stop. It looked like Bertholdt walked in to him, not expecting him to stop so abruptly. Marco tried his best to stay calm. Maybe they would let this go?  
“We were surprised to see you, weren’t we, Bert?” Bertholdt nodded, nervously, from over Reiner’s shoulder. Slowly, Reiner inched forward, looming over Marco. Marco had to step away.  
“I’m surprised to be back.” He chuckled nervously, glancing between the two men.  
“I believe we have something to talk about.”  
Marco froze. Something was telling him they weren’t going to be able to let this go. He struggled to find words, apart from a quiet ‘oof’ as he was backed in to the wall. Bertholdt finally emerged from behind Reiner, blocking Marco from the other side.  
He was trapped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aww, it's the rest of the children~ 
> 
> The progress I've been making on this story is insane! It's at 25,188 words so far, and I have a backlog of about six chapters.
> 
> And of course, thank you to all of you for your kudos and comments, they really keep me going~


	10. Hopeless

Marco would have run, but he knew that he wouldn’t be able to out run either of them. He wouldn’t be able to overpower them either, with Bertholdt being twice his size and Reiner being built like an ox. He swallowed hard, and clawed at the wood of the wall behind him. He couldn’t break his eyes away from Reiner’s intense gaze.  
“What’s th-the matter?” Marco stuttered.  
“I’m sure you remember our little conversation on the rooftop, in Trost?”  
Marco’s mind raced. He didn’t know if it was worth lying to them. Reiner didn’t give him the chance. His hand slammed down on the wall, right by Marco’s ear. It was so loud, he flinched. Reiner leaned in, inches from Marco’s face.  
“I’m sure you do,” he hissed. “Have you told anyone?” Marco shook his head. “Not even your boyfriend over there?” Marco bit his lip to stop himself saying something he’d regret. Jean had no place in this argument. “You’re sure?” Marco nodded.  
Reiner reached out, and took Marco by the collar, hoisting him up from the ground. Marco grabbed at his wrists for something to hold on to. He whimpered, but tried to stay still and quiet. Reiner got in close enough to Marco’s face that Marco could almost feel his breath.  
“You better not have. Otherwise, we will have problems.”  
“Reiner, please.” Bertholdt’s voice came quietly from behind. Marco couldn’t even see him anymore, and didn’t dare move his head to try. “Not here.”  
“Don’t even ask me to go gentle, Bert.” He turned back to Marco. His eyes seemed expectant.  
“I promise you, I-I didn’t say anything! This is the first time I’ve seen anyone in months, I swear!” Marco managed to choke out the words.  
Reiner scoffed. “You’re too smart for your own good. I know you figured out what was going on, and now you experienced it first-hand. You and Eren are giving us all sorts of problems now. You tell anyone, and we’ll finish what we tried in Trost, alright?”  
Marco winced, but nodded, desperate to be let down. He was starting to lose his breath where the collar of his shirt was tight around his throat.  
“Reiner, please put him down! Someone might see.” Bertholdt sounded desperate, and Marco could see his hand tapping on Reiner’s shoulder. Reiner tutted, and seemed to hesitate, before he slammed Marco back against the wall. It winded the brunette, and he coughed, tears welling in his eyes.  
“If I get wind of you saying anything. To anyone. I mean it.” Marco nodded again, now clawing at Reiner’s wrists. “And don’t think I won’t go after your little guard dog, either.”  
“Please, Reiner.” Bertholdt sounded like he was about to cry. Reiner looked around quickly, before he lifted Marco back up higher. There was a moment of quiet, and for one insane second, Marco thought he would be able to walk away unscathed. Reiner seemed to consider for a second, before he turned back. He tightened his grip on Marco’s shirt and threw Marco away, not just dropping him to the ground, but forcefully throwing him. He landed on his front, with a pained yelp, winded and with tears welling up in his eyes. He tried to prop himself up, but his arms gave out under him. They were shaking too much. He could only just see Reiner from the corner of his eyes. He saw the blonde dust off his jacket, then walk towards him. He was prepared to get kicked, but was relieved when Reiner stepped over him, though he was sure he made an effort to kick up dirt in his face. He watched Bertholdt follow on behind, before he crumpled back to the dirt, curling up and trying his best not to start crying.

Marco waited until he had caught his breath back, and was sure Reiner and Bertholdt were gone before he dared try and get up. He was slow, and if his body ached before, now it felt like his every nerve was on fire. He made his way back to Jean, who was still stood, chatting with the rest of their friends. Sasha had gone inside and retrieved a fresh plate of food that she was sharing with Connie as they talked. It looked like Eren and Jean were actually laughing together. It was a nice sight, but it didn’t do much to make Marco feel better. He approached Jean timidly, and tapped him on the shoulder.  
“Oh, you-” Jean stopped when he noticed the dirt on Marco’s face and the tears in his eyes. “Marco?”  
“Can we go back to your room please?” Marco asked. His voice was a whisper, and he was surprised Jean heard him over the buzz of the mess hall.  
“What happened?”  
“Please?”  
Jean glanced around, then sighed. “Of course.” He waved a brief goodbye to the others, not caring if they were confused by his sudden departure. He heard Armin call after him, and Sasha said something, but he wasn’t bothered by it. He took Marco quickly by the shoulders and walked with him out in to the darkness, towards the main building. Jean refused to question Marco any further until they were safe in his room. He let Marco take the bed as he turned on the lights, and in the light, he was finally able to see the dirt the brunette was covered in, and the unshed tears in his eyes.

“What happened to you?” Jean asked, his shock clear in his voice, he fell on his knees beside Marco. He rested a hand on the brunette’s leg, holding it tight, mentally begging for an answer.  
“I… I don’t know, Jean, I don’t know! They… I don’t want him to hurt you too!”  
“Slow down, okay? You don’t want who to hurt me? What happened? You just went to take a breather, didn’t you?” Jean stroked his hand down Marco’s knee, trying his best to be reassuring.  
Marco’s breathing was still erratic, which didn’t help him in his explanation.   
“R-Reiner. And Bertholdt. It was them in Trost!”  
Jean narrowed his eyes. “What about them?”  
Marco’s quiet sniffles collapsed in to loud, ugly sobs, and he fell forward, letting Jean hold him. It was a little awkward with Jean knelt on the floor below him but that was the least of their concerns at the moment.  
“They left me! Th-they took my gear and left me on the roof!”  
Slowly, Jean’s brain worked, until he got what he thought Marco was saying.  
“They… They left you behind?” He felt Marco nod against his shoulder. The anger Jean had felt he wasn’t able to muster any more lit in his gut in a split second, like a bonfire. He went to stand up. He was ready to kick them both in to next week. How dare they do that to Marco? He had never done anything to them, as far as he knew. But Marco caught him by the sleeve, looking up at him and pleading him with his eyes not to leave him. Jean was conflicted, but he remembered his decision to help Marco first, to do things the way he wanted to. So, with a sigh, he sat down on the bed. He held Marco and let him cry into his chest, until the tears slowly dried out and the heaving of the brunette’s shoulders steadied to a gentle shudder. He kept rubbing the other’s back until he finally fell quiet.  
Jean looked down to Marco, talking to the top of his head while his face was buried in Jean’s shirt. “Have you… told anyone about this?” He felt Marco shake his head. He had to think fast. He let out another tired sigh.  
“We’ll go to someone in the morning, alright? You need to rest tonight.” He felt another nod. He patted Marco’s back, asking him to sit up. He watched the brunette carefully as he pulled himself up.  
“Thank you, Jean.” He whispered. The blonde shook his head.  
“Why didn’t you say sooner? I took you to those guys.”  
Marco sniffed. “There’s so much going on in my head. I’m sorry.”  
“No, no, don’t apologise, just. I don’t want them going near you again. You stick with me, alright?”  
Marco nodded, rubbing the last tears from his eyes. Jean felt so bad for him. After the day was finally looking better, he had to get thrown around by Reiner. It was infuriating. But that would have to wait. They were alone, and safe for tonight. Reiner was outrageous, but not dumb. They wouldn’t try anything in the barracks, surely. Bertholdt would at least make sure of that. To take his mind off of the insanity of the day, Jean instead looked at Marco carefully. The other boy was staring sadly at the floor on the far side of the room. Slowly, Jean nudged himself closer, until, with a deep breath for courage, he spun himself around and sat himself on Marco’s lap. He set a leg either side of Marco’s, straddling him, and draping his arms over the brunette’s shoulders. Marco made a surprised noise, that was soon muted by the smile that formed on his lips. Jean gently bumped their foreheads together.  
“Just don’t worry too much okay. We’re safe here. Let’s just forget, for now, yeah?”  
Marco hummed in agreement. Smiling, Jean leant in closer, stealing one, then two kisses from Marco. He could feel Marco’s hands tangling in his hair. It was a new sensation to him, but he loved it. Just feeling Marco’s hands on him was heaven.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't hate Reiner, or Betholdt, I swear~ Especially Bert. But, someone's gotta be the antagonist so, sorry boys.
> 
> Also kinda feel I should apologise for this turning in to something so long? I will try my best to keep it interesting~


	11. Whole again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You know I usually leave notes until the end, but this is important~
> 
> So this chapter, which is probably the longest so far, is all smut, pretty much. So, if that's not your bag, I'm uploading two chapters at once, so you can skip straight ahead~ You won't miss anything too major.
> 
> But if you're a sinner with no shame like me, please, enjoy~

Jean moaned in surprise when Marco leant in, and gently kissed his lips. He lingered longer than Jean had, and was quick with a second. Jean hummed happily, and without even realising it, he let his mouth fall open. Marco surprised them both by kissing harder, deeper. His grip on Jean’s hair was tighter now. Jean felt his own hands move from Marco’s shoulders to his back. He slid them up under the fabric of Marco’s shirt. The tips of his fingers brushed over Marco’s hot skin. He could feel the occasional ridge of a scar, and whenever he brushed them he could feel Marco’s back twitch, and his breath catch in his throat.  
They broke away, both breathing heavily. Jean couldn’t believe how flustered Marco looked already, but he wasn’t complaining. It was adorable. Jean moved his attention, leaving soft pecks along Marco’s cheeks, kissing every freckle he could find. Every gentle touch elicited a happy breath from the other.  
Marco allowed his hands to fall from Jean’s hair, to his back. Jean could feel fingers floating over the small of his back and it sent sparks down his spine. He leant back in to Marco’s hands as he slowly kissed down the brunette’s neck, to his collar bone. He dragged his hands from Marco’s back and used them instead to unbutton the shirt he had lent to him. He wanted to explore more. When all the buttons were loose, Marco shrugged off the shirt, leaving his chest exposed to Jean. The blonde couldn’t help but stare. Of course he had seen it before, but now, finally, it was right in front of him. Marco was offering this to him, and only him.  
Marco started to shift, clearly a little uncomfortable under Jean’s gaze.  
“I-Is something wrong?” Marco nervously ran a hand over his scarred shoulder. It looks gross, I know. I-”  
“Shut up. It’s beautiful.” Jean forcefully took Marco’s hand, pulling it away from his chest. “You’re beautiful.”  
Marco smiled shyly, suddenly afraid to meet Jean’s eyes. Jean sighed, and began leaving more gentle kisses down Marco’s neck. He quickly made it down to his shoulder, and made a point of kissing every single scar he could find. Apparently, these were more sensitive than those on his face. With every kiss, Marco mewled quietly. The sounds were getting to Jean, but his libido would have to wait. He wanted to treat Marco the way he deserved to be treated.  
“I don’t care what you look like. I just care that it’s you.” He whispered against the skin. He heard Marco laugh quietly, and took that as the sign that he was feeling more comfortable. Gently, he took Marco by the shoulders, and eased him back on to the bed. He spun them both around while he was at it, so they were laying on the bed properly, instead of across it, and at risk of head-butting the wall. Marco’s head fell back on to the pillow, and he gazed up at Jean, his dark eyes wide. He could see them slowly beginning to haze over, and it made him smile to himself.

He sat back on Marco’s hips, and took a second to undo his own shirt, tossing it to the floor. He enjoyed watching Marco’s eyes as they lazily explored his chest. His hands soon followed. Jean sat back and let Marco’s hands wader. His touch was gentle and warm, exactly like he had always imagined.  
Marco pulled Jean back in. Their nerves were slowly dissipating, and they were both more confident in their movements. Jean didn’t hesitate in parting his lips this time. Marco smiled against his lips, biting down gently on the blonde’s lower lip and moaning as Jean’s hands drifted around the top of his trousers, his fingers making the sensitive skin there tingle.  
Jean was surprised when Marco’s hips began to shudder. Curious, Jean moved his hand even lower, hovering there before slowly pressing down. The sudden moan that escaped Marco’s lips surprised Jean.  
“Jean.” His name, breathed out by the one person he was crazy for. Jean was beginning to wonder if he would last more than five seconds at this rate. But God he wanted to hear that moan again. Slowly, he pressed his palm against Marco’s crotch, rolling the ball of his palm against it. He glanced up at Marco, and saw him burying the side of his face in the pillow His eyes were clamped tight, and his chest was heaving with his deep breaths. Jean never knew he had the power to ruin another person, to reduce them to gasps and moans, but he was enjoying it.  
He leant back down, pressing himself right against Marco. He propped himself up above the brunette on his elbows. Marco whined when the hand was taken from his burgeoning erection, but Jean was sure to continue pushing against it, slowly grinding his hips down on to it. He could feel it through the fabric, and it made his breath hitch, every time Marco bucked his hips to meet him. He was surprised to feel Marco clawing at his back, pulling him as close as possible as he worked down Jean’s neck. The blonde could feel the hickeys forming already.

Jean would have been content to stay like this all night, grinding against Marco and letting the brunette mark him the way he had always wanted. The lewd noises Marco was making as he suckled and bit at his neck were enough to keep him going. He finally managed to catch Marco’s mouth again, and could feel the slightest metallic taste as he ran his tongue over Marco’s lips. Had he bitten down hard enough to draw blood? Innocent little Marco was full of surprises.  
“You wanna do this?” Jean managed to breath out between kisses. Marco let his head fall against the pillow with a sigh, and nodded.  
“I need it, Jean. I need you.” The desperation dripped from his voice, and it went straight to Jean’s pants. “It’s been too long.”

Jean reached down, hooking his fingers under the hem of Marco’s trousers. He could feel Marco tense up as he yanked the offending item down, sliding them down Marco’s legs, along with his underwear, and throwing them to the floor, to join their shirts. On his way back up, he took the opportunity to run his hands up Marco’s legs. He felt the definition of his calves and the thickness of his thighs, all lightly tanned and covered in a smattering in freckles. It was too tempting, and Jean ducked down, leaving trails of kisses up the insides of Marco’s thighs. The quiet whimpering from Marco made him smile against the skin. He bit down gently, and Marco whined, his legs wrapping themselves around Jean’s shoulders in reflex. Glancing up, Jean saw Marco’s hands balled into fists, clutching at the pillow. Marco met his eye.  
“Jean, please.” His voice was thick, and Jean was feeling his own stomach begin to knot up. He knew Marco was ready now. He nuzzled in to the crook of Marco’s thigh, nibbling slowly, until he reached the base of Marco’s cock. He lapped at it, delighting in the whines that Marco was biting back, even if he felt a little bad for teasing.  
He moved to kiss up the shaft until he could lick at the tip. He massaged small circles in Marco’s thighs as he swirled his tongue around the head, pressing down and licking the dripping pre-come. He didn’t warn Marco before he breathed in, and moved down, taking Marco in his mouth. He could feel it bump at the back of his throat. He hummed to himself, and Marco moaned out loud, the vibrations travelling from his cock up his spine. He couldn’t help but thread his fingers through sandy blonde hair, tugging gently. Slowly, Jean pulled back, and Marco gasped at how cold it was without Jean’s mouth around him. He pulled at Jean’s hair, desperate to bring him back. Jean smiled, and obliged, bobbing his head back down.

Jean soon found his rhythm, with Marco controlling it with his hands on the back of his head. Jean found he enjoyed Marco taking control like that, pushing and pulling his head as he liked. It was a small thing, but the weird rush it gave him felt great. His jaw began to ache slightly but he didn’t care. He carried on, sucking hard and hollowing his cheeks as Marco pulled him back. He bit down playfully occasionally, making Marco buck harder in to his mouth. He gripped harder at Marco’s thighs, making the brunette moan his name. He smiled, and moved his head faster, moving one hand to pump at the base of Marco’s cock as he continued.  
“Jean, please,” Every word that left Marco’s lips was breathy and needy, and only fueled Jean’s actions. He ran his tongue along the underside where he could, and squeezed with his hand. His other had wandered upwards and his thumb was circling around Marco’s nipple, earning him quieter hums in appreciation. Quieter, at least, until the knotting in Marco’s gut became too much for him.

“Jean, I- Nnn, Jean I’m close, so close, ahh… Ahh!” His cries gave Jean just enough warning to pull away, before Marco came over his own stomach with a strained cry, that deteriorated in to whimpers and uneven breaths as Jean aided him though his climax, pumping his hand gently down his cock and wringing every last ounce out of the brunette.  
Marco’s legs fell from Jean’s shoulders, his left leg draping over the edge of the bed. This allowed Jean to sit up, and admire the view from between Marco’s trembling legs. Marco’s chest was heaving, his face was flushed red and his hair was messed, splayed out against the pillow and sticking to his forehead. He was a beautiful mess. Jean pulled himself up, avoiding pressing against Marco’s stomach and the mess still on it. He smiled, and left a gentle kiss on Marco’s forehead. Marco smiled, as Jean leant back and pulled a tissue from his bedside table. He wiped down Marco’s stomach, watching as the skin twitched under the tissue.

Jean didn’t notice Marco staring at him, until he tossed the tissue away. He felt the deep brown eyes on him, and saw that he was staring at his crotch. The way Marco licked his lips as he stared made Jean’s heart almost stop. He didn’t hide his smirk as he sat back on his heels, still sitting between Marco’s legs, and rubbed himself though his trousers. Marco propped himself up on his elbows, clearly enjoying the spectacle. Jean chuckled darkly to himself, using his free hand to trace absently over his chest as he roughly grabbed at his erection through the fabric. He grunted to himself, biting down on his lip and looking out to Marco from under half-lidded eyes. Marco looked transfixed.  
Finally feeling a little bad for teasing, Jean flicked his belt buckle loose, and stood from the bed to drop his clothes to the floor. He could hear Marco gasp, and the smile that accompanied it made Jean’s heart flutter.  
Marco shoved himself up, coming to sit on the side of the bed in front of Jean. He started kissing around Jean’s hips, hands snaking around and gently grabbing at Jean’s ass. Jean couldn’t help but moan, and thread his fingers through Marco’s hair.  
“Want to go further?” He asked, his head falling back as Marco continued his trail of kisses. He felt Marco’s smile against his hips, before he moved back, sitting back on the mattress, his legs spread and inviting. Jean huffed a laugh.  
“Weird how everyone thinks you’re so innocent, now you’re sat there spreading your legs for me, and I don’t even have to ask.”  
Marco smiled, kneeling up to meet Jean at eye level. He kissed him quickly, licking at Jean’s lip, and bumping their foreheads together.  
“If you want me to stop, just tell me.”  
Jean rolled his eyes, and nudged Marco back, letting him sit back down on the bed with a chuckle. He reached out to his bedside table, and retrieved a small bottle of oil. Marco followed it with his eyes. He barely blinked as he watched Jean pop the cap off, and spread some of the shining liquid between his fingers. Even the idea of what those fingers could do had Marco fidgeting. He had to sit on his hands to keep from touching himself. Jean set the bottle on the floor, and knelt down by it.  
“Spin around.” He said, simply. Marco took a deep breath, but span around to face the wall. Jean perched himself on the edge of the bed. He went straight in, circling Marco’s entrance. Marco gasped at how cold it was. Jean stroked down his back and whispered reassurances as he gently pushed one finger in a little harder. Marco buried his head in the blanket. Jean felt a little bad, but the look Marco gave him over his shoulder assured him it was okay to continue. With his left hand holding Marco’s hips in place, he slowly thrust in his first finger.

Marco whined, and pulled his hips forwards, instinctively trying to escape the intrusion, but Jean held him in place with his free hand.  
“Come on, Marco. You’re doing so good.” Jean tried his best to talk Marco through his discomfort. The whining dulled down, and after giving him enough time to adjust, Jean started to move his finger, stretching Marco as best he could before adding the second. The whining was quieter this time, and Jean was quietly impressed, as he slid the third finger inside. He scissored them apart, watching Marco arch his back and claw at the sheets with trembling hands.  
“Mmm, Jean, you- Ahh!” Jean managed to cut Marco off with a bend of his fingers. Marco shuddered, and pressed back shamelessly against Jean’s fingers. The noises that were escaping him as he pushed back were music to Jean’s ears, and he was only full of three fingers. Jean was starting to feel desperate, but he had to make sure Marco was ready. He spread his fingers wide, being sure to bend them the right way and make the brunette shiver again. Only when Marco started begging again did he finally still his fingers.  
“Jean please. I need you.” He sounded truly desperate, and Jean had to give in.

Jean was quick to remove his fingers, and lather up his own erection, tugging at it a few rough times to ensure he was still hard. Marco moved to spin over, and lay on his back, his head hitting the pillow again. He swallowed hard as Jean knelt over him.  
“You’re sure?” Jean muttered. His voice was thick with desire, being so close to taking Marco after all these years, and everything they had been through. Marco nodded. Quickly, Jean took Marco’s ankle, and pulled it up over his shoulder. He carefully lined himself up, before he pushed forwards, only a small way. Marco’s sudden gasp turned in to a choked sound, and his hands shot up to grab Jean’s shoulders tight. He waited, until Marco’s breathing slowed, before he pushed in further, burying himself fully inside.  
“Ahh, Jean, fuck!” Marco cried out, really digging his nails in to Jean’s shoulder. Jean froze, staring at him. After he recovered, Marco noticed, and looked back, worried. “Wh-what?”  
“You swore. You never swear. You’re Marco, you don’t swear.” Jean chuckled.  
Marco hesitated, before he cracked a smile, and started giggling. He threw his hand up to cover his mouth.  
“You should take it as a complement!” He laughed. Jean was torn between a laugh and a moan. The way Marco’s muscles moved around him as he laughed was making him see stars. He fell forward, his hands landing by Marco’s shoulders. Jean’s movement inside him brought Marco back to the moment in equal pleasure.  
Jean seized the moment, and slowly started to move his hips, thrusting forwards. Every push forward brought a gasp from Marco’s lips. His face was scrunched up in a mix of discomfort and pleasure, but in his eyes, Jean could see the lust.  
“God, Marco, you’re perfect.” Jean grunted as he picked up his pace. Marco was tight, and the way he fidgeted tightened his muscles around him in ways that made Jean see stars. It was what was steadily driving him to thrust faster, still searching for the one spot that would drive Marco crazy. After a little trying, he found the angle he was looking for.  
“Jean! Yes! God yes, right there!” Marco was close to screaming, and Jean was shocked to see tears welling in his eyes. He slowed down, worried that Marco was hurting, but apparently he was fine. The second he felt Jean slow, he took his free leg and threw it around Jean’s waist, pulling him back in close and proving he could take it. “Ahh!” He pulled Jeans shoulders close as well, wanting to feel and much of Jean, as close as he could get him, while Jean relentlessly began to pound in to him, nailing the precious bundle of nerves on every thrust and making Marco writhe and arch under him.

“Jean, Jean, ahh, yes!”  
Marco was rising his hips to meet Jean’s movements now, and had finally given in, reaching down and touching himself, thrusting shamelessly in to his own hand in time with Jean’s movements. His stomach was knotting and his thighs were trembling. Jean could feel him tightening around his cock, and it was bringing him close as well. He cursed through gritted teeth.  
“Wait, ahh, Jea-”  
His voice broke, giving out on him completely as he cried out, and came in to his own hand. He rode out his climax, then let his hand fall to his side, limp. Jean moaned out loud as Marco clenched tight around him, bringing him to his climax seconds after. He thrust hard, burying himself inside Marco as he came. Marco moaned as he felt himself become full. It was warm and strange, unlike anything he’d ever felt.

Jean stayed still, trying to catch his breath. His arms were trembling under his weight, until they gave out, and he fell on to Marco’s chest. They were a sweaty, sticky mess, but Jean had never been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh they did the nasty!
> 
> This one was for you, shippers.


	12. Finally

Once they had wiped themselves down with a few tissues, Jean cleaning himself, then delicately wiping Marco’s hand for him, Jean settled down beside Marco, and yanked up the blanket over them both. He wrapped his arms around the brunette’s waist and tugged him close. Marco buried his face in Jean’s chest, and Jean rested his chin against Marco’s head.  
“I wanted to do that for so long,” he muttered.  
Marco hugged him tighter. “I wish we could have.”  
Jean could feel the mood headed south. He could hear when Marco was sad.  
“And now, I can tell everyone how you really do swear, or how you were so eager to let me do you.”  
Marco squealed, and hid his face in Jean’s chest.  
“Don’t you dare.”  
“Hey, Armin, would you believe Marco is a screamer?”  
“Jean Kirstein, don’t you dare!”  
Jean chuckled softly. “Like I would. I know I’m an asshole but I would never do that. Not to you.” He emphasised his point with a kiss to Marco’s head. He felt Marco relax, and smiled to himself.  
The pair fell in to silence listening to each other’s breathing, until Jean began to speak his mind.  
“We will sort out everything tomorrow. We’ll get answers.”  
Marco laughed quietly. “I don’t know if I have any myself.”  
“Don’t worry about it, right?”  
“What about Reiner and Bertholdt?” Jean frowned when he heard those names, and the worry that accompanied them in his voice. If he was honest, Jean had no idea what they were supposed to do about those two.  
“Just… Stay away from them, okay? Stick by me. We’ll tell the Commander or something.” He felt Marco nod against him. Jean hesitated for a second, carefully considering what he was about to ask. “What… What happened in Trost?” Marco froze. His hands gripped tighter to Jean’s back. It made Jean instantly regret asking, and he started to backtrack.  
“Hey, Marco, don’t worry about it.” He nudged himself away, so he could look in Marco’s eyes. The brunette reluctantly pulled himself from Jean’s chest and met his gaze. “Just forget I asked, okay?”  
Marco shook his head, “No, it’s alright. I probably should have told you sooner.”  
“Only if you feel ready though. I’m not forcing you to do anything.”  
“Right. Thank you.” Marco let his eyes drop, staring at some spot on Jean’s chest as he thought. The blonde just lay there and watched him, until he was ready to speak.

“I found Bertholdt and Reiner on the roof, they were talking and… I guess I overheard them? I didn’t really think anything of it, but Reiner wouldn’t let me get away. He tackled me to the roof. Then Annie arrived and-”  
“Annie? God I knew I didn’t like that bitch.”  
“They threw my gear away, and left me on the rooftop. A Titan was already coming our way.” Tears were already stinging at the back of his eyes. He swallowed hard. Jean pulled him close again, a gentle hand on the back of his neck.  
“What were they talking about that would make them that desperate?”  
“I think… I think they are shifters. The way Eren is.”  
Jean’s gasp was loud, and he could feel it even made Marco jump. He thought about asking Marco why he didn’t mention this sooner. This was important information. But he remembered the rough ride Marco had been on since Trost, even just today must have been torture for him, so he kept that thought to himself.  
“Alright,” he said with a sigh. “We can tell Commander Smith all this tomorrow. He can deal with them, whatever it is they’re doing.”  
“Just be careful, okay Jean? I don’t want them to hurt you.”  
Jen scoffed. “I’d like to see them try.”  
“Jean!”  
“Sorry, sorry. I won’t even look at them, don’t worry.”  
Marco sighed, and cuddled back down in to Jean’s chest. “Thank you.” And the room fell back in to silence.

Jean lay there, holding Marco tight. Listening close, he could hear Marco’s breathing slowly become deeper, until the brunette was snoring lightly. The weight in his arms became heavier, and he knew Marco was asleep. He didn’t blame him, after such a long day Jean would gladly fall asleep, but his brain had other plans, and was feeding him too many thought to let him just roll over and fall asleep.  
He was ecstatic that he was finally able to share a bed with Marco, and that thought alone could keep him awake. But he was wondering now what Reiner and Bertholdt’s deal was. Annie too. If they were shifters, and they knew, why hadn’t they told anyone already? Unless their intentions were more devious than that. He knew he had got bad vibes off of that three from the start, he should have seen it. The way they were always standing together, it had unsettled him, but he figured they were just weird. Most of the Training Corps was a little eccentric.  
He was trying to look at this all objectively, but the fact that it was Marco, and now he knew that all Marco had done was happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, he couldn’t help but take it personally. Of course he was tempted to go and find them both now, and smash their heads together until the came clean, or explained, or something. But for Marco’s sake, he’d do what he asked. All he could hope is that those two weren’t determined to finish what they had started, and that Commander Erwin would be able to do something about it.

He sighed, his brow furrowed in a frown as he rolled over on to his side. He pulled his left arm out from under Marco, resting it instead under his head. He nuzzled in to Marco’s hair, the familiar smell relaxing him. He loved how Marco always managed to smell clean, even after days of grueling training. Even now, after being trapped inside a Titan’s body for months, being thrown around on the ground outside and having sex, he still smelled fresh, like freshly washed sheets mixed with the familiar scent of a warm home. The smell calmed Jean’s frayed nerves, and lying there with Marco, he felt complete. After years of trying, they were finally where he wanted, even if the route they had taken was a little convoluted, at best.

With Marco’s warmth pressing on his chest, and the weight of the day finally catching up to him, Jean soon fell in to the most restful sleep he had had in months.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't believe that this is the twelfth chapter and it's all been only one day so far. Poor boys.
> 
> But thank you everyone for all the kind feedback! I'm glad people are enjoying this as much as I am~


	13. Assistance

Jean woke up when he tried to roll over the next morning, but found himself stuck between the wall and something else. Frowning, he cracked his eye open, and glanced to his left. He was relieved when he saw it was only Marco, asleep at his side breathing steadily. The events from last night slowly sank in again, and Jean couldn’t help but smiled to himself. He snaked his arm underneath Marco, around the brunette’s shoulders, and tentatively pulled him close. Marco moaned in his sleep as Jean moved him, and it was the most adorable thing Jean had ever heard.  
“Mmmm… In a minute.” He let out a deep sigh, and buried himself in to Jean’s chest. His hands balled in to fists. His breath was warm, and tickled Jean’s chest so that he had to bite his bottom lip to hold back the childish giggle.  
Jean tentatively poked a finger at the back of Marco’s head.  
“Hey, freckles. You awake?”  
“Muhh?” Marco’s eyes opened just enough for him to see. He glanced up and saw Jean smiling down at him. He smiled in return, and nuzzled back down. “Good morning, Jean.” He hummed.  
Jean stroked the back of his head fondly. A dishevelled morning Marco, he decided, was his favourite kind of Marco.  
“Good morning. How are you feeling?”  
Marco cleared his throat, before he fidgeted and moved to rest his head on Jean’s arm. “My back aches.” He huffed a laugh.  
“Ha, sorry about that.”  
“No, it’s a nice pain. I can live with it.”  
“I hope so. Today’s gonna be just as long as yesterday.” Jean sighed, rubbing his free hand over his face and waking himself up a little more. “God knows what the Commander has planned for you. Scratch that. I’d be worried about what Hange has planned for you.”  
“You mean we can’t just stay here and cuddle?” Marco snaked his arms around Jean’s waist, tugging him closer. He began to leave sleepy little kisses up Jean’s chest, smiling against his pale skin. The blonde made weak attempts to shove him away by the shoulder, but Marco was persistent, continuing until he travelled all the way up to Jean’s jawline and ignoring the false protests from Jean. He nuzzled in to the crook of Jean’s neck, humming to himself.  
“You’re terrible.” Jean huffed.  
“You love it,” Marco laughed, leaving new small kisses on the top of Jean’s shoulder.

Jean lay there, enjoying Marco showering him in kisses, and was thoroughly annoyed, but not really surprised, when a knock came at his door.  
“Kirstein, Bott, Commander Smith wants you in his office in ten minutes.”  
They both lay still until they heard the footsteps vanish down the hall. Jean sighed out, groaning and trying to huddle further under the covers.  
“How much longer can we stay in bed before we’ll be late?” Jean sighed.  
Marco rolled his eyes, and sat himself up, unhooking Jean’s arms from himself.  
“Come on, you.” He chuckled, tugging at Jean’s arms to try and coax from out from under the duvet. Jean grumbled something that sounded suspiciously like a curse, but let Marco pull the blanket away from him anyway. The room around them wasn’t too cold, with the sun slowly shining in through the window. Jean was pleasantly surprised. He relented, and propped himself up on his elbow, watching Marco as the brunette looked around the room for their clothes. He got up, and picked up Jean’s shirt and trousers, chucking them in Jean’s face and obscuring the blonde’s view of Marco’s ass, which he had been shamelessly enjoying. Marco had noticed.  
He chuckled. “Jean Kirstein, you’re awful.”  
“And you love it.” Jean retorted from under the pile of fabric he was peeling from his face, mocking Marco’s tone from earlier. He freed himself just in time to see Marco sliding his legs in to his trousers. He pouted when Marco glanced at him, and to his surprise, Marco stepped over to the bed, resting his hands on Jean’s head and leaning against the bed with his knees. Jean knelt up, and smirked, leaving small butterfly kisses around Marco’s navel. He nuzzled his nose against Marco’s stomach, enjoying how warm it was. He had always appreciated the small bit of extra weight Marco carried, it made him great to cuddle with.

“Alright,” Marco laughed, “Your time is up.” That was Jean’s only warning before Marco took one step backwards, and let Jean fall forward. Luckily, he caught himself before he smashed his face on the floor. He shook his head.  
“Fine. Fine.” He shoved himself up from the floor, and clambered out of the bed. He kicked his own trousers on, having to jump up and down a little to properly pull them up his legs. Marco watched from the side as he buttoned up his shirt and laughed quietly.

Once they were both dressed, and perched on the edge of the bed to pull their boots on, they felt more awake. Jean was already trying to think of what exactly they needed to do today. It seemed like a short but complicated list, not helped by the fact he couldn’t possibly know what Erwin’s plans were. He managed to boil it down to finding out what happened to Marco between Trost and yesterday morning, and stay as far away from Reiner and Bertholdt as physically possible, and hopefully quietly let Commander Smith know that something was up with that pair. He didn’t want to cause a scene in case it alerted the pair that something was up, especially with how frightened Marco had sounded of them last night. In any case, Marco was his priority.  
“Jean.” He felt a poke at his shoulder. “Jean?” He glanced up, being met instantly with honest, chocolate eyes gazing right back at him. “You were frowning. Were you thinking?”  
“Yeah. Sorry, I know it doesn’t happen very often.”  
Marco playfully swatted his shoulder, “Don’t be dumb, Jean. You’re smarter than you give yourself credit for.”  
“Says the same guy who called me weak.” Jean raised a slender eyebrow, smirking wildly.  
“You know what I was getting at with that.”  
Jean chuckled, finally cracking. He threw an arm around Marco’s shoulder and pulled him close. “It was a good pep talk. It was the kick up the ass I needed, to be honest.” He planted one quick kiss on Marco’s head, before he shoved himself up from the bed. He kindly offered Marco a hand up, but Marco smiled and waved him off.  
“Lead the way.” He said, holding the door to the room open for Jean. The blonde stepped through. One of these days he would actually have to show Marco around the place.

It didn’t take them too long to reach the Commander’s office. It was on the other side of the barracks, but it was a relatively small castle. It was only mid-morning, but there were already crowds of soldiers running through the yard and bustling down the hallways. Jean tapped his knuckles on the door. Both him and Marco had heard a conversation on the other side of the door, but as soon as he knocked, the room fell silent. There was an uncomfortable moment of quiet before finally the call came from the other side of the door.  
“Come in.”  
Jean gave Marco a glance for reassurance. He saw the brunette swallow hard, then turn to him and nod firmly. Jean offered a sympathetic smile as he grabbed the handle and turned it. He nudged the door open, and let Marco step in before him.  
Inside the office, they were met with Erwin, sat back against the front of his desk. Hange was lounging in a chair to his left, and Levi was stood, arms folded and scowl firmly in place, by the far wall.  
Erwin offered them a welcoming smile. “Please, come in.” As the pair walked across the room, Erwin tried to shoo Hange from the chair. She pouted, and whined quietly. Jean rolled his eyes, but insisted he was fine standing beside Marco, letting him take the chair instead. Marco thanked him with a brief nod, and Jean shrugged it off with a small smile. Once they were settled, and Hange was at least sitting up properly in her chair thanks to a threat from Levi, Erwin began.  
“Thank you both for coming in so early. I’m sure you both would rather be spending time catching up. But, you understand that there is important business to attend to.” Marco nodded, more to himself. But Erwin noticed of course. “If this all becomes too much for you, Marco, please don’t hesitate to say.”  
“Right. Thank you, sir.”  
Erwin nodded, before he continued. “First of all, we need to know what happened in Trost. We’d like the most detailed account you can give us. After that, Hange will take you for some tests. She intends to compare your results with Eren Jaeger’s. Hopefully by the end of the day, we may be able to shed more light on this titan shifting ability.” Erwin glanced briefly between the two. “Do either of you have any questions about this?”  
The three adults looked on as the pair looked to one another. They both knew that this was the time to tell the Commander about their little problem. Marco chewed his lip, looking up at Jean for an answer, help, anything. Jean breathed out hard, and looked up to Erwin. With a hand resting reassuringly on Marco’s shoulder, he cleared his throat.  
“If I, uh, may, sir. We don’t have a question, but there is something we’d like to say?” He waited for Erwin to give the slow nod of approval before he continued. “There… We know who was responsible for what happened to Marco, in Trost.”  
Although he tried not to show it, Erwin’s eyebrows raised. His voice was low as he spoke. “Is that so?” He leant further back on his desk, and folded his arms, clearly intrigued. Hange was kneeling in her chair now, equally curious. Even Levi had stepped out of the shadow of the corner of the room. “Please.” He gestured to Jean to continue. The cadet took a deep breath, and squeezed Marco’s shoulder, both for Marco’s and his own reassurance.  
“Well, sir,” he began.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally, the start of a new day~ And some more of Erwin. Because I love him and I can.
> 
> Also pretty sure Erwin and Levi are a thing in this story. And Petra and Oluo. But they'll turn up later~
> 
> As always, thank you so much for reading~


	14. Revelations

Jean’s nerves were obvious in his voice. “Reiner Braun and Bertholdt Hoover, sir. We have reason to believe that they are… That they are also… They are Titan Shifters as well.”  
Hange’s gasp was audible throughout the room. Erwin leant in closer. Rational as ever, he spoke.  
“This is a serious accusation, you understand. Marco, you must explain to me exactly why you think this.”  
All eyes turned to Marco. He swallowed hard, trying to get his thought right in his head before he even tried to speak.  
“I came over to them, to ask them to get moving and they were, uh, talking. They were saying something about the hole in the wall that they had ‘worked so hard to make’. I didn’t pay much attention and asked them to come with me, but Reiner didn’t let me get away. He tackled me to the roof, and then they took my ODM gear and threw it away. I was stranded on the roof, with a Titan coming for us. I was winded and shocked and confused and before I…” His voice faltered. Jean tapped him on the shoulder.  
“You can stop if you want.” He whispered. Marco hesitated for a second, before he firmly shook his head, sniffing fiercely and ready to continue.  
“Before I could get away, the Titan came. It grabbed me, I tried to get away but… But then all I can remember is the pain. It felt like all my nerves were on fire and all I could do was scream. It hurt impossible for a minute, and then, there was just… Nothing.”

Jean winced. He wanted to sweep Marco up from the chair, and hold him close, and tell him that everything was alright now. But he knew they had to remain professional in front of their Commander and the Captain. All he could do was squeeze Marco’s shoulder for reassurance that he was still there, that he wasn’t leaving him.  
Erwin nodded thoughtfully. “So, they left you on a rooftop to be eaten by a Titan. Why do you believe they did that?”  
“Reiner told me that I was too smart for my own good, that I would figure it out and that they couldn’t have that.”  
This time, Levi interjected.  
“That you would figure out what?” He only sounded mildly irritated, as if he did feel sympathy for the cadet.  
“They were planning something, talking about how they had worked to make the hole in the walls, how they had let the Titan’s in. Either they are both able to transform like Eren, or they are working with the Titans, for whatever reason. I don’t know. They seemed very desperate for me not to get away. In case I told anyone. And yesterday, they both came up to me. They threatened me and Reiner threw me to the ground. That’s why these clothes are so dirty. They threatened to hurt me, and Jean, if I told anyone. They said that me and Eren were causing them problems. I figured that implies they are also able to shift.”  
Marco took a breath after his explanation, and looked up to meet Erwin’s gaze. He jumped, surprised by how intense and piercing those blue eyes were.  
“I understand. I have had my suspicions about both of them since they joined the Survey Corps. If what you say is true, we will have to take action. By law, they are traitors to the crown. Are you positive, Marco?”  
Marco nodded, firmly. “I know for sure that they were the ones who left me. They stole my ODM equipment, and left me on the roof, in order to hide something. I cannot be sure what they want to hide, but I believe that either way, they are working with, or for, the Titans. I know it sounds crazy bu-”  
Erwin cut him off, raising a single hand to ask for quiet.  
“Your assumptions are understandable. Better yet, they are logical. I appreciate you coming to me with this information. Thank you. However, we must tread carefully. If these accusations are true, we do not wish to alarm them and scare them off before we can prove it. If they are false, we cannot push too hard in pursuing them, in case they take us to the military court. If the bet we can offer the Executive is the jumbled memories of a first time soldier, I doubt our case would hold water. The Corps, and myself, would lose what little credibility we still have, perhaps even be disbanded for good.”  
Marco and Jean both nodded. Marco swallowed, “I understand, sir.”  
“And of course, your safety is our top priority. If they already left you for dead, and are now making threats on both of your lives, we must be careful.” The Commander paused, thinking. Slowly, he turned to Levi. “What do you believe should be done?”  
“Keep Braun and Hoover under watch, carefully, so they don’t realise what’s going on. You’re right, if they sniff us out, they’ll bolt and we’re back to square one. This is a valuable lead we can’t afford to lose. We’ll keep a guard on you both, while we decide what exactly should be done. This requires a more detailed plan.”  
Erwin nodded. “I agree.” He turned back to Jean and Marco. “Then it is agreed. We will have Levi’s squad keep an eye on you while you’re around the barracks.” He glanced to his side for the nod of agreement from Levi. It came quickly. “And keep our best eyes on Reiner and Bertholdt. When we decide on what we are going to do next, we will relay the message to you.”  
Jean felt like a light weight had been lifted from his shoulders. Commander Erwin’s agreement to keep an eye out for them, even just the fact Erwin believed him, was a relief that he hadn’t really been expecting.  
“Thank you, sir. We appreciate it.”  
Erwin smiled, shaking his head. “Not at all. We look after our own here. And, as Levi said, this could be an important lead that we cannot afford to let go.”  
“And after losing the promise of such a beautiful abnormal, studying even more people with this Titan shifting ability would be perfect!” Jean saw Marco jump at Hange’s sudden outburst. He had almost forgotten she was sitting there.  
Both Erwin and Levi turned and glared at her, Erwin looking slightly more forgiving than Levi towards her.  
“Sorry, sorry!” She waved her hands frantically. “But, I’m sure you can understand my enthusiasm. If we are to truly gain the upper hand against the Titans, understanding this Titan ability is key!”  
Erwin uncrossed his arms, and rested them back on his desk. He laughed quietly. “We understand, Hange. This is perhaps, then, the time for you to take Marco for your testing?”  
“Ahh!” Hange let out a squeal that Jean was convinced only dogs could have heard. She clasped her hands together. “Marco, you’re in good hands I can promise you!” She jumped up from her chair and flung herself towards Marco’s, falling to her knees beside him and taking his hands tightly in her own. “We’re going to have so much fun!”  
“Please, don’t be intimidated by her,” Erwin laughed, “You really are in good hands.” The Commander stepped forward, and patted a hand down on Marco’s other shoulder. “We will get to the bottom of this.” Erwin turned his intense gaze on to Jean. “Thank you for your willingness and cooperation in this, Jean.”  
“Thank you, sir.”  
“Now, please go with Section Commander Hange. You have some important research to be doing.”  
Both young men nodded, and Marco stood from the chair. He had to politely pull his hands away from Hange’s iron grip, but she didn’t seem to mind, or even notice as she walked the pair out of the room. She received a short wave from Erwin, and although she tried for one from Levi, she only received an eye roll. It didn’t seem to faze her.

Out in the hall, Marco clutched Jean’s hand tightly, so tight that Jean was sure he was losing the blood flow to his fingers. Hange was rambling about something that Jean had definitely stopped listening to. He was too busy looking at Marco. The other cadet was staring hard at the floor. His brow was creased, and he was clearly thinking hard. Jean stroked his thumb over the back of Marco’s hand, making the brunette look up. He met Jean’s eyes, and visibly relaxed a little. Jean, of course, wanted to say something, congratulate him on explaining the situation without breaking down, or even just ask him how he thought their little meeting had gone, but he didn’t want to seem rude ignoring Hange’s rambling. She seemed enthusiastic about whatever it was. All he could do was hope that she wasn’t saying anything important. Honestly all he cared about now was making sure Marco was okay.

Hange lead them across to the other side of the building, to the old great hall of the castle. It was the only room Jean hadn’t been in, and when he had asked around for an explanation as to why, he had only been told that it was reserved for the Survey Corps’ ‘special projects’. Hange’s name had been mentioned a few times. Now, it made sense to Jean, especially because he never saw her around the barracks. He had wondered if he had her own office somewhere. This must be it.  
Hange stopped abruptly, and span around on her heel with bounce. Marco stopped in time, and only his hand holding Jean’s stopped him from walking in to her.  
“This is it boys. Unfortunately, only Marco can come in. Top secret science business, you understand! Though I’m sure he’ll tell you all about it later! Though stick around. We might need you for, uh, moral support.” She glances nervously at Marco, who’s eyes widened a little. “You look like a tough cookie though!” She laughed, clearly trying to move on before Marco could run away. “So, shall we?”  
She stepped to one side and yanked one of the two tall wooden doors open a small way. She gestured to the door, smiling hopefully at Marco. The brunette chewed his lip, but Jean tugged at his hand, and he looked up at him.  
“Go on. I’ll be right here.” He pulled Marco forward a step or two, encouraging him to go in to the hall.  
“Oh! Here, let me get you a chair!” Hange jumped, and disappeared in to the hall, presumably to fetch said chair. Both boys looked after her, until she could only be heard muttering to herself at the back of the room. Marco sighed, and fell forward, resting his head on Jean’s shoulder. Jean patted his back.  
“You’ll be alright, Marco. I know she’s crazy, but she won’t do anything to hurt you. She knows she has me and the Commander to answer to if she does.” He chuckled quietly, and was glad to feel Marco’s back shake a little as he laughed too.

“Just promise you won’t go anywhere. Okay?” Marco pulled his head up from Jean’s shoulder with a small sigh.  
Jean nodded, and squeezed Marco’s shoulders tight. “Promise. If you need anything. Just come get me, right?”  
“Thanks.”  
Jean offered him a kind smile, before Hange appeared, clutching a chair. She set it down against the wall, before she took Marco by the arm and all but dragging him inside. Jean watched the door as it shut, then slowly wandered over to his chair. He collapsed down on to it and let his head fall back against the wall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, that was a little dialogue heavy~
> 
> I've finally got a little spare time on my hands so I can go back and re-read all of this, and comb through for spelling and grammar and stuff, but if you see anything really bad, feel free to let me know
> 
> Thanks again, and see you all next chapter!


	15. Intrusion

Jean wasn’t sure what was happening on the other side of the door. He thought back on their walk across he building, trying to remember if he had actually heard any of Hange’s excited babbling. No matter how hard he scanned his memory, all he could remember from the walk over was the worried look on Marco’s face that he was clearly trying to hide. Hopefully he was doing okay.  
Jean was pleased with how the morning had gone, all things considered. He was already starting to readjust to having Marco back around. He was glad Commander Smith had believed Marco’s story, and that they hadn’t bumped in to either of those suspected Shifters around the barracks.

But Jean had never been a lucky kind of person.

There were footsteps down the end of the hall. Jean didn’t notice them at first, until they came closer and were loud enough to break him from his own thoughts. He glanced down the hall, and when he saw exactly who it was that was approaching, bolted up from his chair. He tried not to let his anger, and fear, show too much. He faced the newcomer as they came closer down the hall.  
“Good morning, Reiner.” He huffed. He had to try and be civil. Like Erwin and Levi had said; if they guessed something was up, they would run off and nobody would be able to prove anything.  
Reiner barked a laugh, letting his head fall back in that weird, obnoxious way he did.  
“What are you doing all the way out here?” he asked.  
“No good morning for me back, huh?”  
Reiner scoffed. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.” He smirked, and Jean could feel his temper fraying already.  
“It take more than that to hurt my feelings, don’t flatter yourself.”  
“Hmph, right. But really. Why are you all the way back here? On your own as well. I thought you and your little liability were joined at the hip now.”  
Jean’s eyebrow twitched. He couldn’t let it get to him. “I could ask you the same. Where’s Bertholdt?”  
“He’s out in the stables; it was his groups turn to clean them out this week.”  
Jean ran through the stable rota in his mind. He found it really was that groups turn. He could even hear voices in the distance as they worked. At least Reiner was telling the truth, he supposed.  
“Then what are you doing here?”  
“Ah ah, I asked you first, Kirstein.” Reiner waved a finger in his direction. It made Jean about ready to punch the idiot in the face. He thought fast, trying to come up with a believable excuse for being sat in the hall on his own.  
“Section Commander Hange wanted me to help out with some stuff. I’m just… Waiting for her.”  
Reiner glanced between Jean, and the large double doors behind him. Jean couldn’t tell whether he believed it or not. Reiner had always been hard to read. He nodded slowly, clearly coming to a conclusion in his mind.

“What exactly did she ask you to do? Maybe I could lend a hand.”  
“Uh, no, thanks. I’ll be alright. I’m sure you have better stuff to do.” Jean waved him off, hoping that he would take the hint and walk away. He could see Reiner narrow his eyes at him, and could feel himself tense.  
“Have you and Marco been talking?”  
Jean had seen the question coming, but he hadn’t thought Reiner would be quite so blunt about it.  
“Well, yeah. We’re friends. We talk.” He tried to sound as nonchalant as he could about it. He watched Reiner step closer and turn, leaning against the wall. Jean, reluctantly, sat back down in the chair.

“What do you talk about?”  
“Well, the guy was just stuck in a Titan for months, plenty of catching up to do. I mean, we just talk about dumb stuff most of the time. It’s a nice distraction, you know?”  
Reiner nodded, slowly. “Anything interesting?”  
“Why do you care?”  
“I’m just making polite conversation. Don’t bite my head off, Jean.” Reiner chuckled, but Jean just had to sit there and clench his fists in his lap. “Did he say anything about Trost? I mean he must have said something, right? I mean, it was a pretty big deal.”  
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard you so talkative, Reiner.”  
Reiner spoke right over him, clearly pushing for an answer. “Unless he can’t remember what happened. That must have given him some serious brain damage, no?”  
“He’s fine.” Jean grumbled. He looked up to Reiner, speaking clearer and trying not to sound too apprehensive. “And he hasn’t told me anything. I don’t think he remembers much. And I don’t want to hassle him about it. He needs to heal in his own time, I think.”  
There was a tense second of silence. Jean almost jumped when Reiner spoke again It sounded like he was stood closer than before.  
“You’re sure he hasn’t mentioned anything?”  
Jean pulled a face of genuine confusion. How could Reiner be so forward about this? Did he not care? Was he that confident he would be able to get away with it? Or was he just that desperate for answers?  
“Come on, why do you even-”

A strong hand clamped down on Jean’s shoulder. He yelped, and tugged against the grip to get away. Of course, it was pointless. Reiner was far too strong.  
“Did he tell you anything about what happened to him in Trost?”  
Suddenly, Jean yanked his shoulder away. He almost fell forward from the chair, but he stumbled to his feet and turned on Reiner.  
“What is your deal?” He snapped. Reiner, for once, looked surprised. He shoved himself up from the wall, and stood firm in front of Jean, arms folded.  
“Why are you getting so stressed out?”  
Jean gritted his teeth. He had to keep his composure. “He hasn’t told me anything about what happened to him in Trost, okay? As far as I know, he doesn’t even remember, and I certainly don’t get why you give a shit!”

Reiner let his arms drop to his sides, and he took one step closer to Jean. As much as he wanted to, Jean didn’t back away.  
Reiner lowered his voice. “I know he remembers. And there are some things that he would be better off not remembering, if you ask me.”  
Jean narrowed his eyes. “Like what?”  
“I’m not telling you anything you don’t need to know, Kirstein. But if he’s told you anything about what happened to him in Trost-”  
“I’m telling you he hasn’t told me anything!”  
“And for some reason I still don’t believe you.” Reiner took another step towards Jean. Jean was determined not to give up any ground. If Reiner thought he could intimidate his way through life, he should think again.  
“Then that’s your problem, isn’t it?”

No matter how determined Jean was to not back give in to him, he had to admit Reiner was an intimidating man. He swallowed hard, and tried his best to mask the flinch as Reiner slammed his hand down on the wall near his head. It was on Jean’s left side, blocking his escape route down the hallway. He cursed under his breath, before he looked up, and stared straight in to Reiner’s eyes.  
“Your little boyfriend is causing us problems. We thought we had dealt with him, but we had an arrangement. Telling you anything is not part of that arrangement, and means I have to deal with you, too.” He paused for a second, scanning Jean’s face for any sign that he knew something. Jean was doing a pretty good job of covering, but Reiner was persistent. “You may have the Commander and his midget guard dog on your side, but that doesn’t mean the two of you are safe here.” Jean froze. Did he know about their meeting with the Commander earlier? His hesitation showed, and Reiner noticed it instantly. His eyes narrowed and he frowned. “So you do know something?”

Jean slapped Reiner’s hand away, surprising himself with the force he mustered.  
“Is that a threat?”   
Reiner leant back, hands coming to rest on his hips. He smirked. “You bet it is.”  
Jean was done with this. He could threaten him all he wanted, but if he dared even think of laying another treacherous finger on Marco again, Jean wouldn’t hesitate to throw him through the window.

Without thinking any further ahead, Jean lunged forwards, instantly connecting his fist to Reiner’s jaw. The larger blonde stumbled backwards until he collided with the wall, and used it to right himself. Jean was willing to bet Reiner didn’t think he’d take him on.  
“You do what you want to me, but you leave Marco out of this now! You tried whatever you tried, and it didn’t work so just suck it up!” He threw himself towards Reiner, grabbing his jacket collar and slamming him against the wall. “I knew I didn’t like you! You and Bertholdt, and that bitch you towed around everywhere, from day one you all were dirty!”  
Reiner snatched Jean’s hands up, and tugged, lifting jean off the ground, before dropping him. Jean had to take a beat to regain his balance, and in that brief moment, Reiner’s knuckles collided with his chin, and as he struggled to stand, the taller blonde’s knee rammed against his hip and sent him to the floor. Reiner was quick to stand over Jean, bringing a foot firmly down on his chest, winding him and stopping him from getting up again.  
Jean thrashed around, trying desperately trying to reach any part of Reiner. “Bastard!”  
“Cry all you want. I don’t know if you’re lying to me or not, but you better not try pushing your luck alright?”  
Jean was about to spit a reply, but the door beside them was flung open, and Hange burst out from inside.  
“What is all this noise?” She cried. It was the closest to angry Jean had ever heard her. She glanced around, and quickly came to her conclusion. “Both of you, to the Commander’s office!” She poked her head back inside quickly. “Marco, come with me a second. I can’t leave you on your own, okay?”  
There was a muffled ‘okay!’ from somewhere inside the hall. Hange grabbed Reiner by the wrist and yanked him away from Jean. Then she ducked down and grabbed Jean by the elbow, bringing him to his feet. He was surprised by the strength she had. He heard the doors shut behind them, and assumed Marco was the one to do so. Hange wasn’t about to let him turn around. She instantly began to march them both back down the hall, muttering to herself angrily about her experiments being interrupted, and how they had been going so well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And again I say I don't have anything against Reiner, but, someone's gotta do the bad stuff, right?
> 
> Good news is, I've finished the story! So now I just need to remember to upload it here regularly~
> 
> I hope you all continue to enjoy this little adventure with me and the boys~


	16. Change of Plan

Erwin looked clearly disappointed as the two cadets stood in front of his desk. He was leaning forwards in his chair, his hands just in front of his mouth, fingers laced together. He sighed, looking between the two as Hange explained to him what she had found in the hall. Marco stood back, behind them all, watching nervously.  
“Thank you, Hange.” Erwin sighed as she concluded her explanation. He turned to Reiner. “Is this true?” Reiner nodded firmly. “And Jean?” Jean nodded, looking a little more uncertain. “And what lead to this?”  
Reiner stepped forwards. “Commander. Jean took some questions I asked him the wrong way, and resorted to punching me in the face.” He gestured loosely to the reddening mark on his cheek.  
Erwin nodded, “I can see that.”  
“My actions were in self-defense, sir.” Reiner finished. He stepped back in to line. All Jean could do was glare at him, at how polite and respectful he was being. It made him furious.  
Erwin looked back to Jean, “And what were Reiner’s actions?”  
“He punched me in the face, knocked me to the floor and then trod on my chest.” Erwin glanced down, eyeing up the dusty boot mark on his shirt. The Commander frowned, sighing and massaging the bridge of his nose.  
“Of course, you both require discipline, however we are short staffed as it is right now. And it is a relatively minor offence, soldiers get in to fights all too often, if I’m honest.” He sat back in his chair, sizing up the two cadets, looking them both up and down as he thought. Another deep sigh. “Braun, you are free to go. Please, keep your distance from Jean. We don’t want to risk another similar incident. Commanding officers will be notified of this little scuffle. Understood?”  
“Yes, sir!” Reiner answered with a salute, before he turned, and left the room. Everyone remained silent as he left. The second the door clicked shut, all eyes turned to Jean. Marco hurried forward from where he was stood, coming to stand in front of Jean, grabbing him by the shoulders, almost shaking him.  
“Jean, what happened? He didn’t hurt you did he?” Marco looked Jean over, and found the red mark just by his chin. He gently rubbed his thumb over it. Jean never knew Marco to be this much of a mother hen type, so even despite the worry that was slowly bubbling in his gut, he managed a smile as he swatted Marco’s hand away.  
“I’m fine, I promise.” He sighed.

“I’m not so sure about that.” Erwin interjected. He stood from his chair and folded his arms across his chest. At the sound of his voice, Marco backed away from Jean, and fell in to line beside him. “You understand this is exactly what we were trying to avoid?”  
Jean ducked his head. “I understand, sir.” He heard the commander sigh.  
“Is what he said true?”  
Slowly, Jean raised his head again, and was surprised to see Commander Smith looking more relaxed. He was looking back at him with the same earnest look in his eyes. It caught Jean by surprise, and he forgot to reply for a second.  
He tried his question again. “What exactly happened?”  
“Uh… Well, he came down the hall and asked me straight if Marco had mentioned anything about Trost. I told him he hadn’t, but for whatever reason, he said he didn’t believe me. Then he told me that we weren’t safe, even though we have you and Captain Levi on our side. I don’t know if he knew about our meeting this morning or what.”  
“Is that when you decided to assault him?”  
“…Yes, sir. He can’t threaten us like that and expect to get away with it!”  
The commander raised his hands. “I understand. You’re still young, and you clearly care about your friend. This just means we will have to change our plan.”

Slowly, Erwin stepped out from behind his desk, and came to lean against the front.  
“I’ll let Captain Levi know about this. We need to keep you safe, if he is indeed making threats against you. Of course, all we have is your word. I believe you both, but I cannot say the same for General Zackly.” He took a deep breath. “Please, from here, be more careful. I understand that you are both tense at the moment but you can’t let him provoke you like this.”  
“Yes, sir. I understand.”  
Erwin nodded. “Thank you.” He looked at the two young in front of him, before he looked to the back of the room, to Hange.  
“How are your test going so far?”  
“Oh!” Hange jumped forwards. “Well, we’ve found that Marco here is in fact the same as Eren! Pain doesn’t work as a stimulant the way it does for Eren though. Extreme emotions seem to be doing the trick though. No idea how you pulled off coming back from the dead, but we’re working on that!”  
“Good. This information is important. And you’re coping, Marco?”  
The brunette, who had almost zoned out completely, jumped, and nodded quickly.  
“Yes, sir. Section Commander Hange is really nice.” He smiled.  
“Aw, you’re such a sweet heart! Yes, sir, we’re getting on great!” She threw an arm up and over Marco’s shoulder, tugging him close, and laughing. Marco giggled quietly. He was growing quite fond of Hange. Jean was wary of her being so hands on with Marco, and kept an eye on her in the corner of his vision.

“I’m glad you two are getting on.” Erwin even cracked a smile at Hange’s antics. “Very well. Dismissed.” Erwin gave them a brief wave, before returning to his desk, and the small pile of papers that he had abandoned at the intrusion.  
“Thank you, sir.” Jean offered a salute, and Marco did the best he could with Hange hanging of his shoulder. When she finally let go, she patted him on the back.  
“You can take a break, Marco. Come back to the hall in half an hour or so.”  
“Oh, thank you.”  
Hange waved him off. “You’ve earned it!” She shooed them both from the room, staying behind so she could have her own talk with Erwin.

Marco gently pulled the door shut the door carefully behind them, before he turned on Jean.  
“You can’t go pulling stunts like that, Jean!” He hissed. It was the first time jean thought he’d ever seen Marco mad. Jean backed away, honestly worried.  
He whispered back, “Marco, he was threatening you. He doesn’t get to do that!”  
“It doesn’t mean you have to punch him in the face!” It looked like Marco was about to say something else, but instead, he stepped back, running his hands through his hair and letting out a pained sigh. “I’m sorry. I just don’t want them to have any more reason to come after you as well. Okay?”  
Jean felt guilty for stressing Marco out like this, so he relented.  
“Alright, alright. I’m sorry. I’ll just… try and stay away from him. But he knows something is up. I’m sure.”  
“You said so yourself, Jean, we’ll deal with this.” Marco reached out and pulled the blonde close. He pressed Jean against his head against his chest. It was relaxing to Jean, just to be held by someone. So he just stood there, listening intently to Marco’s steady heartbeat. They stood there, and Jean let himself melt in to Marco’s warmth.  
“I’m glad you’re back.” He sighed, nuzzling in to Marco’s chest. Marco laughed quietly, and Jean could feel the vibrations in his chest. Marco took him by the shoulders and held him at arm’s length. Jean was surprised to see him smiling, wide and lopsided like always. “Why don’t you show me around?” He let his hand fall down Jean’s arm until he could lace their fingers together. “I have an hour to kill, after all.”  
Jean sighed, letting out the tension he could feel knotting in his shoulders. He shook his confusion from his head, and held Marco’s hand tight.  
“Alright then. I’m sick of having to take you everywhere. I’ll have to get you a led or something if you don’t learn your way around here soon.”  
Marco nudged him gently in the side with his elbow with a shy smile. “Go ahead. I’m sure we could find some other uses for that.”  
Jean stared at Marco, trying to process what he had just heard.  
“Marco!” Jean gasped. He could feel his mouth was hanging open, truly shocked. “You’re so dirty, what happened?”  
“You’re a bad influence on me.” Marco smiled, all sweetness and innocence again. Marco laughed at the shock on Jean’s face, and tugged gently at his hand. “Come on, let’s go for a walk.”

The pair spent over an hour wandering around the barracks. Jean was a little tense walking around, constantly stealing glances over his shoulder in case Reiner was lurking in the halls, or Bertholdt was still wandering around on his own. But he tried his best to ignore his paranoia and enjoy his time with Marco. The brunette was still smiling and making jokes the whole way round, though Jean could see he was taking mental notes of everything he was shown. Diligent as ever. They ran in to a few people around the building. Armin stopped them both to have a chat, and Christa hugged them both, saying again how she was happy to see Marco again, and to see Jean smiling again.  
They arrived back at the great hall at the end of their walk, and they had to say goodbye. Jean promised he’d sit outside again, and try his hardest not to get in to any more fights while he waited. Marco hugged him quickly, before he knocked on the door. There was a crash on the other side of the door, it opened quickly and Marco was tugged inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Will Jean stop causing trouble?
> 
> Probably not.


	17. Evening Dark

No matter how bored he got, Jean sat there for the whole afternoon on his creaky, uncomfortable chair, until Marco emerged again. He looked as tired and Jean felt, and there was a light sheen to his forehead. Of course Jean worried at seeing him sweating so much but as he walked normally and talked steadily, he relaxed.  
“I’m ready to go to bed now.” Marco sighed, laughing a little. Jean chuckled, but couldn’t help but think Marco really did look ready to fall asleep where he was standing.  
“You’re not joining me for dinner?” Jean rolled his eyes as they began walking back down the hall. He smirked, “But I had such plans.”  
Marco raised an eyebrow. “Is that so?” He took Jean’s hand, something that was becoming second nature already.  
Jean nodded, “I was gonna take you to the most popular place around. Everyone around here goes there to eat, I hear.”  
“Sounds fancy.” Marco hummed.  
“It is. Very ambient lighting. Large tables and benches. You may get splinters from the benches, but their very classy splinters.”  
Marco laughed, “What’s it called?”  
“The Mess Hall. You’ll love it.”  
Marco chuckled. “Alright. Maybe I can stay awake long enough to go out. Since you put so much effort into planning it.” The sarcasm was almost dripping from Marco’s voice, and Jean loved it, laughing out loud.

They walked out to the Mess Hall, joking and talking about nothing in particular. When they walked inside, Jean felt Marco clamp his grip on his hand. He wondered what was wrong, but soon saw that Marco was avoiding looking to the corner of the room. Jean looked up, and saw Reiner and Bertholdt, chatting with someone else in the shadows near the wall.  
Jean gave Marco’s hand a reassuring squeeze, and looked desperately for somewhere to sit that was as far as they could get from their side of the room. Thankfully, Armin appeared in the opposite corner of the room, waving to Jean and inviting him over. Jean had never been so thankful.  
Armin smiled. “You looked like you were looking for a seat.”  
Jean nodded, nudging on to the end of a bench beside Connie. Marco sat on the bench opposite him, next to Armin. They both thanked him as the others shuffled up a little to make some more space. Marco looked around the table.  
“Where’s Sasha?”  
Connie scoffed, and explained through a mouthful of vegetables and gravy. “Captain Levi caught her snacking while she was supposed to be clearing the stables this afternoon, so she’s outside doing laps in the yard.”  
Everyone laughed. They expected nothing less from Sasha.  
“At least she left her space on the bench for us.” Jean chuckled.  
The pair spent a while catching up again with their friends, being careful to avoid admitting what they had been doing all day. Then, Jean tapped Marco’s ankle under the table to get his attention.  
“Wanna get something to eat?”  
Marco looked ready to agree, but glancing up at the kitchen window, realised that was where Reiner and Bertholdt were still standing. Jean frowned, but they were both starving. “I’ll go get it.” He shrugged. Marco’s eyes widened a fraction. Jean shook his head. “Come on, just tell me what you want, I’ll go and get it.”  
Marco bit his lip, clearly trying not to look concerned. Jean rolled his eyes.  
“You still like the same food, right? I can guess.” Marco relented.  
“Alright. Thank you.”  
Jean shrugged it off, and got up from his seat. He went over to the unorganized rabble that was supposed to be the serving line, grabbed two plates, and went down the line to pick the food for their dinner. He tried to ignore the two men he could see in the corner of his vision. He focused on the food trays in front of him. He took two slices of meat, two small mounds of vegetables and two lumps of mashed potatoes, slopping one down on each plate. The sound made Jean pull a face of disgust. The food here wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t the most appetizing looking stuff Jean had ever seen. Or maybe that was just Jean’s mother always treating him with home cooked meals. Jean smiled, remembering the smells in the kitchen from his childhood. He turned, and went to walk back to the table.

His path was obstructed by the sudden appearance of Bertholdt. He stepped up to Jean, looking as timid as ever.  
“Jean, I’m really sorry about what happened earlier.” Bertholdt had to stoop a little to make sure Jean would hear his hushed tone. Jean rolled his eyes.  
“Look, I may not trust you, but I guess I don’t have a problem with you. Just tell blondie to keep his distance, alright?” Jean huffed, and barged past Bertholdt, shoving him out of the way with his shoulder. He heard Bertholdt call out nervously after him but he wasn’t in the mood to talk. He almost made it back to their table when a firm grip fell down on his shoulder. He sighed, and turned around, ready to tell Bertholdt exactly where he could shove his apology. He was surprised to find Reiner stood there, glaring down at him.  
“Oh, for the love of-” Jean frowned. “I thought the Commander told you to stay away from us.”  
“He told me to stay away, sure, but this mess hall is a small place. And Bertholdt is allowed to go where he wants. Looks to me like he was just trying to be nice to you and you walk off?”  
Jean grunted. “Why are you so determined to pick a fight with me?”  
Reiner smiled darkly, and it sent a shudder up Jean’s spine. It looked like he was planning something, but Jean was damned if he knew what.

Jean jerked his shoulder sharply, shaking off Reiner’s hand. He was careful not to tip the plates in his hands. He didn’t want to start a fight in the mess hall, but some sick part of him was daring Reiner to lay just one more finger on him. He turned to quickly to set the plates down on the nearest table, before snapping back to Reiner, almost snarling at the taller blonde.  
“Go on then!” he hissed. He held his arms out wide, giving Reiner clear invitation to take him on.  
He braced himself as he saw Reiner start forwards. He clamped his eyes tight, and could feel the wind get knocked out of his lung as a broad, muscular shoulder collided with his chest. He was shoved backwards until the small of his back slammed against a table. There was an outburst of yelps and curses from the people sitting at that table, but Jean couldn’t care less. He grabbed the shoulders of Reiner’s shirt and shoved back with as much force as he could find. Reiner stumbled back, eventually tripping himself up, and dragging Jean down with him to the floor, though the fall left Jean on top. He smirked. He dropped Reiner’s shirt, and pulled his fists back. The satisfying contact of his knuckles against the taller blonde’s cheek made Jean’s smile wider. It was something he had wanted to do to Reiner for a while.  
Reiner grunted, and with an easy swipe up, he took Jean by the arms and flipped him to the ground. He was quick to sit over Jean, and Jean could see in his eyes that he was enjoying this. There was still an odd glint to them that he couldn’t place. He looked left in time to see Reiner raise he hand. He ducked his head to the side, and was deafened by Reiner’s fist slamming against the wood beside his ear. Reiner was quick to follow with his other hand, which made painful contact with Jean’s cheekbone. The force of the impact sent Jean’s head back with a thud to the floor. He bit his lip to keep in a pained cry.  
“You could’ve just kept your distance.” Jean grunted, determined not to let Reiner wear him down.  
Reiner smirked. “Where’s the fun in that?”  
Jean stared at him, confused. He wasn’t focusing, and Reiner had no problem grabbing him by the neck and yanking him up from the ground. Jean choked out a cough, and scratched at Reiner’s hands. He could see he was digging his nails in hard enough to draw tiny beads of blood. Reiner noticed the scratches instantly, and he was about to say something, when Jean took a deep breath, and brought his head forward fast. It felt like his skull cracked when it collided hard with Reiner’s head. He heard Reiner hiss a curse, and his hands loosened enough for Jean to wriggle free and drop back to the floor. He took advantage of Reiner being distracted, and started towards the taller blonde. He raised his leg fast and rammed it in to Reiner’s back, sending him forwards to the floor. Reiner regained himself quickly, stood, and span around on his heels, putting all of his impressive weight behind one punch.  
Jean skidded to a halt, and tensed, ready to probably have his jaw broken. He was surprised when nothing happened. Hesitantly, he opened his eyes again, one and then the other, and he saw Marco and Bertholdt. They had appeared out of seemingly nowhere and were both standing between the pair. Marco was glaring and Jean, clearly disappointed at this outburst, and Bertholdt was behind him, waving his hands and pleading with Reiner to give it a rest. Looking around, the entire hall had crowded around them, standing from their seats and some even standing on benches to see over the crowd. He shook his head, and looked back to Marco.

“Marco-” Jean began, but Marco cut him off.  
“Not. One. Word. Please.” Jean winced at the low growl of Marco’s voice. He’d never seen his friend so angry. Marco turned to Bertholdt and Reiner.  
“Can we at least do this like civilised people?”  
Reiner quirked one thin eyebrow. “We’re not quite people though, are we?”  
Jean could hear the choked noise Marco made.  
“Actually, I agree. Outside, the four of you.”  
The four of them had to look around for the owner of the sudden voice. To the side, the crowed parted, and Captain Levi appeared. He was frowning even more than usual, his arms folded and his foot tapping impatiently.  
Marco and Bertholdt, of course, went to follow the instruction right away. Bertholdt with his head ducked down, Marco giving one last worried look over his shoulder as he followed on behind. They inched past the captain, and disappeared in to the crowd. Jean threw Reiner a look, hoping he wouldn’t cause another scene, despite how much he’d like to see Reiner get his ass handed to him by Captain Levi. Thankfully, Reiner followed him out.  
As he left, he could hear Levi snap at the others left in the hall to get back to their own business, carry on stuffing their faces. Jean huffed out a quiet laugh to himself at his captain’s usual tactlessness. But it worked, he could hear the quiet mumblings of ‘Yes, sir’ and the low murmur of people as they shuffled back to their tables.

When they were all outside, Levi slammed the door shut behind them. The warm light from the hall disappeared, and they were left in the cool air and dimming light of the early evening. The four of them ended up in a line at the bottom of the steps, with Levi stood up on the top step, frowning down at them. Silence.  
“You must love being the thorn in my side more than Jaeger does.” He spoke firmly. “I personally don’t care if you want to beat each other senseless - lord knows I’ve wanted to do the same to some of you before - but I’d rather you not make a mess in the hall while you do it.” He glanced between the four of them, pausing for a while on Marco. Jean saw out of the corner of his eyes that they made solid eye contact with one another, and for a split second, Jean could have sworn that Levi’s face softened. It was brief, and before Jean properly registered it, Levi was glaring down at him, with cold grey eyes.  
“I know you four have your… differences. But you’re all soldiers for god’s sake. Act like it, could you?” Levi looked like he was about to add something, but his eyes flitted to his left for a second, and he appeared to think better of it. Jean wanted to follow his eyes, but he thought Levi wouldn’t be happy. It turned out he didn’t need to, and within seconds, Commander Erwin, along with Squad Leader Mike. Erwin came to stand beside Levi, and the quirk of Erwin’s eyebrow was the only cue the captain needed.  
“They decided it was a good idea to work out their differences during dinnertime.”  
Erwin gave the four boys a brief glance. “Who is ‘they’?”  
“Kirstein and Braun.” Levi sighed. Erwin frowned to himself, and turned to look at the line of cadets.  
“I thought we had an agreement?” He crossed his arms, and rested his weight on one leg. It looked as though he was settling in for a long discussion. Jean looked down the line, wondering if Reiner was going to say anything. He kept his mouth shut, but Jean saw the glance he gave him. It got on Jean’s last nerve.

“Sir, Reiner is determined to start a fight with me, and you expect me to play nice? Am I not allowed to stand up for myself anymore?”  
He could feel a hand at his elbow, and glanced to his side to see Marco, pleading with his eyes for Jean not too push his luck. This whole situation, Jean knew, was getting out of hand and no matter how understanding Commander Smith was, he would have to draw the line somewhere, if only to save his own ass.  
Jean looked up in to Erwin’s eyes. They were stern. Jean faltered, then shut his mouth again. He stepped back in to the line, and let his gaze fall to the ground. Erwin slowly made his way down the steps, coming to stand on the grass, right in front of the cadets.  
“We clearly have a problem here, gentlemen. Two fights in one day is hard to ignore.” Erwin paused for a second, and looked to Levi, who shrugged. He gave a deep sigh.  
“Levi, please take Reiner and Bertholdt back to their rooms.” Levi looked at Erwin for a second, before he relented, and hopped down the steps. He took the two by the arms, and all but dragged them back towards the main building. Despite the seriousness of the whole situation, Jean had to bite his lip so he didn’t laugh at how ridiculously short the pair made him look.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No. No Jean has not stopped causing trouble.
> 
> And if the idea of Betholdt walking beside Levi doesn't make you chuckle inside, I feel there is no hope for you. Or I'm just easily amused. That'd make sense~


	18. Plans

Erwin watched Levi and the pair of cadets until he could see they had stepped behind the building in to the yard. Then, he turned his gaze to the boys in front of him. His shoulders dropped, and the sternness of his gaze vanished. He sighed.  
“You know I can’t keep this up? If this happens again, I’ll be forced to discipline you, and Reiner. And if it carries on any further, General Zackly will become involved and any hope of proving that those two do in fact possess this titan ability will be gone forever. I thought you understood the gravity of this situation?” Erwin raised an eyebrow in Jean’s direction.  
“I do, sir. But he had his mind set on getting me into a fight, I’m sure of it! The whole time it looked like he was planning… something.”  
“Planning something?”  
Jean nodded. “Yes, sir. It looked like he wanted to get beat by me. I mean, he’s twice my size, he should have been able to knock me out right then, but he didn’t. It all felt kinda weird if you ask me.”  
Marco cleared his throat. “It looked like he was about to before me and Bertholdt got to you.”  
“And he let you to standing between us to stop him? Marco, he’s built like an ox, he’d have no problem getting through you both.” He turned back to the commander. “I just don’t like the feeling I got when I saw him. I’m sure he’s got something in mind.”

Erwin closed his eyes for a second, frowning as he thought through the options.  
“I want to help you both. I do. If you are just getting in to fights because of your temper, Jean, I would have to let this go. Maybe I’m too eager to believe what you say, but if he is trying to provoke you, then maybe there is a chance this can be forgiven, and we can still salvage this chance. What exactly did he say to you this time?”  
Jean chewed his lip for a second. “Bertholdt came up to me and tried to apologise for what Reiner did earlier. I told him to get lost and Reiner seemed to take it way too personally.”  
“That hardly seems like a reason to start a fight with someone. Is that all he said?”  
Jean nodded. “Exactly. That’s why I think he’s just desperate for a reason. Maybe he even expected me to ignore Bertholdt? I don’t know.”  
Erwin unfolded his arms, and scrubbed his hands over his face with a quiet groan. He turned to Squad Leader Mike, who was still stood close behind him. Mike leaned in close, and muttered something in the commander’s ear. Erwin seemed to consider what he had been told. He turned back to Marco and Jean.  
“We can’t afford to wait any longer. They’ll get you kicked out of the Survey Corps before we can do anything to prove their identities. Leave this with us. And try to stay away from them, please.”  
Marco, who had been worried about serious consequences for Jean’s actions, let out a relieved sigh. “Thank you, sir.”  
Erwin gave a short nod. “The Squad Leaders and I will have a meeting tonight and decide how we wish to proceed. You two should finish your dinner, and then return to your room. I’m sure Levi will keep the others busy long enough so you won’t run in to them.” And that was final. Erwin offered them a salute, which they returned out of habit, before he and Mike walked back towards the main building. As soon as they were out of earshot, Jean relaxed, and turned to Marco.  
“This is ridiculous. Why can’t they just go and arrest them, lock them up in the basement like they did with Eren?”  
“Because they don’t know the extent of their powers. And Eren proved he wanted to help humanity. Those two clearly are on the Titan’s side, so I doubt they would go as willingly.” Marco’s gaze hardened, “And you should be thankful that Commander Smith is still even talking to us after this.”  
“I swear; Reiner would have got me in to a fight one way or another. He wanted it, and I don’t know why but he did!”  
Marco took Jean gently by the elbows. “I don’t doubt that. But I do know that you’re pretty easy to provoke.”  
“I am not!”  
Marco raised an eyebrow with a smirk. Jean froze, then sighed, realising that he may have accidentally just proved the brunette’s point.

Marco smiled wider, and hugged Jean tight. “Come on, let’s go inside and finish dinner. I’m starving.”  
Marco took Jean’s arm in his hands, and lead him up the steps and inside. They found that the plates Jean had put down had already been cleared away, so Marco instructed Jean to go and sit back down, and he would go to the line to fetch their food. It was late now, so the crowd had died down. He wouldn’t be long.  
Jean watched him go, before he headed towards the table where Armin, Eren and the others were still sat. Normally, he didn’t care what people thought of him; everyone knew that he had a short fuse sometimes anyway and after any kind of brawl he would walk with his head high back to his seat, practically growling at anyone who dared to even look at him. But now, he felt a little ashamed. He held his head down and stared at the floor as he walked. He stuck to walking along the wall, to avoid any extra eyes falling on him. He felt bad, because for once, it wasn’t just him that was having to deal with the consequences of his actions. He had to remember that they were trying to do this for Marco, that this was for him to finally see justice for the atrocious things that he was put through, and a perfect opportunity for the Survey Corps to prove themselves, to capture two enemies of humanity, and potentially study them so that the Titans weren’t such a mystery any more. There was so much potential in this plan and Jean was about to blow it for them all, even after he had promised to himself that he was going to be more aware of Marco’s feeling, to not be so hideously self-centred. He mentally scolded himself as he came up to the table.

He winced when he finally looked up from the floor and saw that everyone was looking right at him. He faltered for a second, struggling to drag himself out of his own thoughts.  
“What?” Was the best his mind offered him.  
“What was all that about?” Mikasa asked simply.  
Eren nodded, “Yeah, you even pissed of Captain Levi. He doesn’t really care about cadet brawls. It must have been something serious for him to step in.”  
“You’re braver than I am, man,” Connie sighed, “Taking on Reiner, you must have a death wish.”  
Jean tutted. “As far as I remember, that’s Eren’s shtick.” He glanced at Eren, and was surprised to see that even he was chuckling quietly to himself. “And it was him who started it. He was pushing my buttons is all.”

Everyone around the table nodded, understanding. That was when Marco finally returned with two plates, piled pretty high. Jean started at the plate of food as it was set down in front of him. He looked up at Marco in awe.  
“At the end of the evening, if you ask nicely, they sometimes give you the stuff they don’t want to throw away.” He shrugged as he sat down.  
“Woah, I gotta try that sometime!” Connie gasped.  
“It’s been a long day,” Marco said, sitting down opposite Jean. Jean smiled.  
“Thanks.”

Marco told him it was no problem, and tucked in to his own dinner. He really was starving, and finished his meal in record time. Jean was equally hungry, and made pretty short work of his own plate. It warmed him up after being stood outside for so long, and made him feel a little bit better. He had a habit of falling in to a low mood when he was hungry, and this meal at least made him think that there was still hope. Erwin had said that him and the other higher ups would deal with this now. The hadn’t given up on them yet, so there was still a chance to get Reiner and Bertholdt. He smiled, and managed to relax enough to listen to Armin explaining some dumb childhood anecdote about how Eren fell in a canal one time.

After dinner, Jean and Marco even stayed around a while to properly catch up with some of their friends. The hall was slowly clearing out, and only the people with nothing better to do were sticking around, hanging around in small crowds, laughing and drinking.  
Connie had left to go and collect Sasha from her punishment, smuggling a potato or two under his shirt to take to her. Mikasa had said she was going to work out some more before bed, so it was only Eren, Armin, Jean and Marco left sitting around their table. The plates had been cleared away, and the had all refilled their metal mugs.  
“I’m glad you’re doing better, Jean.” Armin said quietly. Eren and Marco were discussing Hange’s ‘scientific’ methods, which sounded to Jean like the methods of a mad woman, but he wasn’t about to say.  
He smiled gratefully. “Thanks. And thanks for everything else. You were really kind to me while Marco was gone.”  
Armin shrugged, taking a quick drink before he spoke. “We have to be there for each other out here. Just because losing someone you love is so frighteningly common, doesn’t make it any easier.”  
Jean nodded, taking a swig of his own drink. “Still. I appreciate it.”  
“How are you feeling now? It must be strange having him back.”  
“Yeah. Though, it was pretty easy to readjust, y’know? It’s just like how it used to be.”  
Armin smiled. “Well, I’m glad for you both. Though it sounds like you’ve been in Commander Smith’s office quite a lot.”  
Jean froze. Did that mean people knew about his and Marco’s closeness to the commander? Did that mean Reiner and Bertholdt knew? He shook his head, and looked back to Armin.  
“It’s nothing. Just, with Marco turning up as a Titan out of nowhere, he has a lot of questions. It’ll stop soon.”  
Armin nodded, and Jean was glad he believed it. “That makes sense. He’s a good man. I’m glad he’s our commander.”  
Jean nodded. “Yeah. Really nice.”

One particularly loud outburst of laughter from Eren caused the two blondes to look over at their friends. Eren was wiping a tear from his eyes, and Marco was giggling behind his hands, which Jean thought was adorable, of course.  
“Wow, she hasn’t changed a bit!” Eren chuckled. Marco shook his head, and let out a large breath, relaxing back on his seat. He caught Jean looking at him, and looked up at him.  
“Are you okay, Jean?”  
Jean nodded. He looked in to his mug, and saw that he had almost finished his drink. He knew Marco was done with his, since he hadn’t touched it in the half an hour they had been chatting. He took his mug and drank the last few drops, tipping it right back to make sure he’d got it all. Then he looked back to Marco.  
“Wanna go back?”

Marco thought for a second, but nodded anyway, and slowly stood up from their bench.   
“It’s good to have you back, Marco.” Eren sighed, finally recovered from his giggles.  
“Thanks. I missed this.”  
Armin gave them both a short wave. “It was nice to chat for a while. Goodnight!”  
They both wished the others a good night in return, before they left the hall, Marco holding the door open for Jean. Once they were outside, Jean threw an arm over Marco’s shoulder and tugged him close.  
“I’m sorry about earlier, you know?”  
Marco laughed tiredly. “I know. It’s okay.”  
“You’re always so forgiving of people. I don’t get it.”  
“Oh. So you want me to be mad at you?”  
Jean laughed. “Please god no! Just… I know you were always kind, even though you knew the world was an unforgiving place. And even now, when you’ve suffered the worst humanity has to offer, you’re ready to just shrug it off and carry on. I can’t understand it.”  
Marco shrugged. He couldn’t see it in the dim light, but he felt it under his arm.  
“I suppose it’s just how I am. I’m sure there’s good in everyone. They all deserve a second chance.”  
“Life in your head sounds nice.” Jean sighed. He let his head fall to the side and bump against Marco’s. They walked the rest of the way in a relaxed silence, Despite the situation they were still stuck in, good food and good company made all the difference, and they were content to enjoy it for just a little while longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, the holidays sure got on top of me this year~ I have no excuse for the other few months this thing wasn't updated, but! I'm here now! And will hopefully remember to update this a little more often~ When I'm not writing it every day its a lot easier to forget about~
> 
> And, as a late Christmas gift/ apology, I'll upload a few more chapters after this one.
> 
> Happy new year, everyone~


	19. In Their Hands

They were both surprised that they were still allowed to share Jean’s bedroom, but they figured that the Commander had already found out, and was just leaving them to it for the time being. When they got back to their room, they turned the lights up, and collapsed down on to the bed. Jean landed on his front, taking up the whole length of the bed, so Marco had to make do with perching on the edge. He rested his hand between Jean’s shoulder blades, and began rubbing small circles absent-mindedly  
“What a day.” Jean groaned in to his pillow. Marco hummed in agreement.  
Reluctantly, Jean pealed himself from the bed, and rolled over, so he was on his back. He crossed his arms behind his head so he could look up to Marco.  
“Are you doing okay? I never even asked you how those… ‘experiments’ went.”  
Marco laughed quietly. “It was just like a very intense physical. And she asked me some odd questions, but I’m alright. Thank you.” He let out a breath, and Jean could see his shoulders drop as he relaxed.  
“Good. That’s good.” The room fell in to silence. Slowly, Marco eased himself down on to his front, shifting his legs up so he could lay across Jean’s chest. When he was comfortable, Jean uncrossed his arms and wrapped them instead around Marco’s strong shoulders. He watched them carefully as they rose and feel with every breath he took.  
In the silence, Jean thought back to some things he had considered earlier, at dinner. He thought them out loud.  
“I think Reiner and Bertholdt must know about how we’ve been seeing the Commander so much.”  
Marco grumbled, as if Jean had just woken him up from a nap. “They may not know we were talking about them. These are pretty extenuating circumstances, of course the Commander would want to talk with us.”  
“They’re pretty suspicious people though. They always were. And any conversation about you leads back to the fact that you were declared dead in Trost. And that has everything to do with them. I think they know.”  
“Maybe. I wouldn’t think about it too much. It’s in the Commanders hands now.”  
“As long as he knows what he’s doing.”  
Marco huffed out a small laugh. “You don’t get to be the commander of the Survey Corps without having at least some kind of idea what’s going on.”  
Jean rolled his eyes. “Your sass isn’t appreciated here.” Marco just laughed, and nuzzled his face in to Jean’s chest. His steady breathes tickled Jean through his shirt, but Marco’s weight on him was reassuring.  
“I’m sorry I almost ruined all this. I promised myself I’d be more considerate of you with all this. You’re the most important on in all this. And you’re pretty important to me as well.”  
Jean was expecting Marco to say something, and was surprised when he was met with silence. He looked up from the duvet where he had been looking, and was met with Marco, staring up at him and looking about ready to burst in to tears.  
“Jean!” He whispered. Jean propped himself up on his elbows, worried Marco was upset about something.  
“What?” he asked, worriedly.  
“No. Just, I’ve never heard you say such nice things.” He took a breath, calming himself a little. “I’m glad I’m important to you.” He smiled, and Jean could have sworn he saw the faintest blush dust over Marco’s freckled cheeks. It made him smile over his own embarrassment. Marco looked at him a little longer, before he buried his face back in to Jean’s chest.

Jean nuzzled his nose in Marco’s hair. He still smelled as fresh as ever. It was familiar, and Jean loved it more and more each time he caught the faintest scent of it. Marco was feeling more like home. It made Jean happy, it was all he had wanted for a long time, and to have him after all they had been through together now, it felt like they deserved it. It made Jean wrap his arms tighter around Marco. Marco noticed, and brought one hand up to stroke down Jean’s arm. The blonde hummed in appreciation.  
Jean lay in the quiet, listening closely to the distant laughter in the mess hall, and the occasional steps down the other side of the door. In the relative silence, Marco wriggled on to his front, and crawled up so his head was level with Jean’s. He looked down in to Jean’s eyes. With his elbows either side of Jean’s head, he could reach Jean’s hair, and run his fingers through it. He sighed happily, and started quietly humming to himself. It made Jean chuckle, but he wasn’t about to stop him. This was the ignorant bliss he would be happy with sitting in for the rest of the night.  
He didn’t protest when Marco started leaving gentle kisses on the very end of his nose, then along his jaw, even up to his hairline. He let his head fall back in to his pillow, and made contented noises every now and then, which he could feel made Marco smile against his skin.  
“I still think we’ll be okay.” Marco sighed, sitting up on Jean’s hips. Jean’s hands came to rest on the sides of Marco’s hips. He tugged absently at the bottom of his shirt, until it slowly came untucked from under his trousers. He didn’t have anything in mind as he did so, he was just keeping his hands busy as he kept his gaze steady, flicking between Marco’s eyes. He nodded slowly.  
“So long as I can keep you. Then I’m happy.”  
Marco’s head fell to the side. He rested a hand briefly on Jean’s forehead with a cheeky smile. “Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”  
The blonde rolled his eyes. “I’m allowed to have feelings, okay? I’ve lost you once and I don’t want to do that again.”  
Marco sat back and smiled sympathetically. Jean was worried Marco was about to cry, but Marco shook his head with a wider smile.  
“We should go to bed.” He patted Jean’s shoulders gently, and swung himself off of him, sitting back down on the edge of the bed. Jean clambered up, and sat behind Marco, resting his head on the brunette’s shoulder. He smiled to himself, and whispered quietly into Marco’s ear.  
“Good idea.” He could see Marco jump a little, then shudder at Jean’s hot breath on the back of his ear. It made Jean chuckle as he stood up from the bed, ruffling Marco’s hair as he went. Marco wailed, and swatted his hand away, but the quiet laughter that followed told Jean that it was alright.

The two got undressed down to their underwear in relative quiet. Marco folded his borrowed clothes up and piled them neatly on the floor by the end of the bed, while Jean threw his in to his chest of drawers and shoved them shut. Small parts of clothes were still sticking out, so it didn’t shut properly. Marco knew better than to say anything, and simply watched from under the covers as Jean abandoned the untidy drawers and flopped down under the duvet beside him. Jean didn’t even have to invite Marco closer before he cuddled up close. It made him happy in a way he couldn’t quite describe that Marco was so comfortable around him. They had always been close, but after Marco’s… ordeal, Jean was surprised he wanted to be around anyone else ever again. It felt like some kind of honour that Marco was able to be this way around him.  
He wrapped his arms around Marco’s waist on instinct, and breathed in to Marco’s hair. He wanted to talk more, just to make sure Marco was alright, and that this was really how he wanted to move forward, but he couldn’t bring himself to. He was tired, and he could feel Marco’s breathing slowing down already. He just held him, and listened to the breaths, feeling them against his chest.

Jean was woken up by a sharp jab in his ribs. He opened his eyes, but when he didn’t immediately see anything, he gladly let his eyes droop shut again. He was met with a second jab to his side, accompanied this time by a voice.  
“Jean? Jean!” It was Marco’s voice, although Jean barely noticed it in his sleepy state. When It finally registered in his mind, he opened his eyes again, and glanced around in the darkness until he found Marco’s eyes, sparkling in the moonlight that leaked in through the window. He frowned.  
“What is it?” His voice was thick with sleep, and hopefully Marco would be able to tell how unhappy he was with being woken up at lord knows what hour. He could feel Marco’s hands clutching at his chest.  
“I think I heard something.”  
Jean rolled his eyes. “Y’woke me up because you heard something? Marco we’re on the outskirts of a forest, there’s animals everywhere.”  
Marco shook his head, propping himself up further on one elbow and looking seriously at Jean. The sheer intensity in Marco’s eyes made Jean pay more attention. He wiped at his eye with the back of his hand.  
“It wasn’t that.”  
“Some loud idiots just getting kicked out of the mess hall?”  
“No, no, it was a… tap or something. At the window.”  
Jean narrowed his eye at the other. “The window?”  
Marco nodded. Jean was about to ask why he hadn’t just gotten up to look for himself, but he knew that Marco had always been a little nervous, but mostly, he noticed that Marco was sandwiched between him and the wall, so him getting to the window would have involved having to climb over him, which probably would have woken him up anyway. He sighed in resignation, and sat up. His back cracked and clicked as he stretched, and he saw Marco sit up beside him, leaning back against the wall.  
“Fine, fine.” He sighed. He swung his legs out of bed, wincing as his bare feet touched the cool floor. He shoved himself up from the bed, and stumbled the few steps over to the window. He parted the thin curtains slightly, and peered out. The sky was clear and the moonlight illuminated everything in Jean’s view. There were the bushes right outside his window, then a dirt path, and then the tall stone wall that enclosed the entire castle, and ran right along the back of the dorm building. He frowned, and couldn’t see anything at first. He turned his face to Marco, though he didn’t remove his eyes from the window.  
“I can’t see anything weird.” He said, though it sounded a little like a question. He glanced quickly to Marco for a second, and realised he had scooted forward and was perching on the edge of the bed now.  
Marco sighed, and rubbed at his eye with a knuckle. “I’m sorry. I’m sure I heard something. Maybe I just imagined it?”  
Jean shook his head. “Don’t worry about it. I get you’re kinda on edge.” He shrugged it off, and was about to step away from the window and return to bed when there was a loud clink. He could see out of the corner of his eye that the sound made Marco jump. Under any other circumstances, Jean would have found it adorable, but with his own heart beating out of control in his chest, he couldn’t find it in himself. He looked back to the window. He scanned the view more carefully now, but still couldn’t find anything out of the ordinary.  
“The hell...?” He muttered. He stood there for a while longer, and his patience was rewarded. There was another loud knock at the window, and this time, Jean could see what had caused it. A small pebble had been launched at their window, from over the top of the wall. Whoever was throwing them had a good arm on them, he’d give them that.  
“What was it?” He heard Marco ask quietly from the other side of the room.  
“A stone… I think?”  
“A stone?”  
Jean hummed quietly in agreement. Slowly, Marco got up from the bed and padded over to the window. He stood right by Jean’s side, their arms pressed together. Marco looked equally hard outside, squinting through his tiredness. Jean could feel him slowly lean right up against him. Lazily, he raised a hand, pointing just above the wall.  
“It came from over the wall.”  
“Over the wall?” Marco looked to Jean, who just nodded. He didn’t dare look away from the window in case another stone was launched over the wall. “Is it hitting our window on accident do you think?”  
Jean shrugged. There was no way they could really tell without going outside the barracks and looking. They weren’t allowed out of their rooms at night, let alone the building, and certainly not outside the complex. Jean didn’t know what they could do, really.

He sighed, and turned to look to Marco for any other ideas. The brunette only shrugged back to him.  
“If we get caught even leaving your room, we’ll be skinned alive by the commander. He’s losing his patience, I’m sure.”  
Jean nodded. He knew Commander Smith couldn’t mess around with them for much longer, especially now there were rumours of a mission beyond the walls on the horizon, hurried whispers making their way around the castle. Jean chewed his lip. As he looked on, another, slightly larger stone bounced off the glass in front of them. Marco jumped again, and Jean felt Marco’s hand move up and his finger nails dig in lightly to his shoulder. Jean hissed a curse under his breath.  
“Well it’s not like we’re going to sleep any time soon with this shit going on.” He flailed a hand in the window’s direction before he abandoned it, and flopped back down on the bed. Marco followed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As much as I want to let these two losers just snuggle and have some peace, alas, that is for another story.


	20. Too Late

“It could still be someone trying to get our attention.”  
Jean nodded in agreement. “Or they have pretty consistent bad aim.”  
“What do you want to do about it? Someone would still be awake; we ask them to go look for us?”  
Jean chewed his lip. If it had been any other time, under any other circumstances, he would have gladly sprinted from his room, right outside and knocked some goddamn sense in to whoever was out there at this ungodly hour. But with the higher ups around the barracks already beginning to lose it with him, he was somewhat reluctant. He glanced between the window and the door, before he shoved himself up from the mattress. He yanked his chest of drawers open and tugged out the first crumpled shirt and already stained trousers he could find.  
Marco quirked an eyebrow at him, and Jean shrugged as he set about jumping in to his trousers.  
“I’m gonna go find whoever’s on watch right now. Tell them to go stab whoever’s chucking rocks over the wall.”  
“Jean.”  
“Okay not stab. Maybe just punch. Really hard. In the gut.”  
Marco sighed in resignation, already leaning over the end of the bed to retrieve his clothes. There was an understanding now between the two that the shirt and trousers were just Marco’s now. It wasn’t like he had anything else, and Jean had plenty of spare clothes that fit him properly, he didn’t need those. They both sleepily threw their clothes on, then Jean went to the door. He opened it a small way, and peered out in to the hall hoping to see who had been assigned to watch of dorms that night. He felt some of the tension from his shoulders dissipate when he saw a small figure topped with shining strawberry blonde hair wandering down the hall. Petra. She was walking beside a male figure, which Jean could only assume was Oluo. He glanced back over his shoulder and nodded to Marco, telling him that it was safe for them to leave. Petra certainly wouldn’t be mad at them for being up and out of bed past lights out. And she had said that they should go to her if they needed anything.  
He whispered to Marco as they both left the room, Marco pulling the door quietly shut behind them both. “It’s only Petra.”  
Jean smiled at Marco’s delighted little gasp. “Oh! Good.”

The pair hurried down the hall, until they came a few feet behind Patra and Oluo. Jean cleared his throat nervously in an attempt to get their attention. It worked. Petra span on her heel, and smiled when she saw it was only the two boys. Oluo jumped, then hunched over for a second, seemingly cupping his face. He grunted, then slowly dusted himself off and turned around. He was trying to look intimidating, Jean figured, but there was a twinge of pain left in the curve of his eyebrows. Petra giggled.  
“When I said bite your tongue, I didn’t mean it, silly!”  
Oluo glared down at her, only tugging his arms tighter across his chest. “What do you two brats want? Don’t you know it against the rules to be out of bed this late?”  
Petra rolled her eyes, and stepped forward. “Ignore him.” She gently shoved him backwards, just enough to make him lose his balance. “What’s the matter?” The concern was clear in her voice.  
Jean sighed. “Someone is outside the barracks, and they’re throwing rocks at our window. Anything you can do?” Jean didn’t mean to sound so casual when addressing a higher ranked soldier, but his brain was still half asleep. Petra thought hard for a second, her brow creasing. Oluo was still looking down at the two boys, disapproving. Jean didn’t like it, but he just looked away, deciding he had caused enough scenes today. Or yesterday. He still wasn’t entirely sure what time it was.

Petra looked over her shoulder to Oluo. “We should go and take a look.”  
Oluo made an indignant noise. “Why? We had to put up with a lot worse than pebbles knocking at our windows when we were your age, boys.”  
Petra gave Oluo a look of quiet disbelief. “That’s Marco Bott.” She sighed, pointing shortly to the brunette.  
Oluo visibly straightened, looking Marco up and down, before he settled back into himself. “Hm. So you’re the one everyone’s talking about? I thought you’d be taller.” Marco opened his mouth, and Jean wondered if Oluo could be the one to finally test Marco’s almost saintly patience, but the brunette apparently thought better of it, and shut his mouth again, frowning slightly.  
Petra gave one last wary look to her companion, before turning back to the boys.  
“Why don’t you take us outside? I’m sure it’s nothing too menacing. Maybe a bird or something?” Petra smiled reassuringly, but Jean could see that she wasn’t convinced by her own words. She seemed to understand the precarious situation Marco - and by mere, unfortunate association, Jean - was in. Jean looked to Marco, who nodded. Petra took in a deep breath.  
“Alright. Come on then.” She even offered Marco her hand. He politely declined, but made sure to stick close to Petra’s side as they walked. With Jean bumping shoulders with him on the other side, he felt safe, even if he could feel Oluo glaring at the back of his head from where he was walking behind the three of them. His hand brushed the back of Jean’s as they walked, until, when the emerged out in to the yard, he couldn’t help but thread his fingers through Jean’s and clasp his hand tight. It made the darkness outside a little less unsettling.

The moon was still high, and bright, and full above them all, and the cloudless sky meant that they could all see pretty well. Petra lead them all through the yard as quickly and as quietly as she could manage, then out through a rickety wooden door beside the main gate. They stuck to the wall, and followed it around to the right. Petra soon turned to Jean for direction. Jean knew that his room was just under a patch of darker tiles on the roof. Thanks to the moonlight, he could pick them out against the rest, and pointed to them.  
“Just there.”  
Petra nodded thoughtfully as they all came to a stop. “So they’d have to be standing around here.” She pushed herself up on her tip toes to try and see if the window was indeed under the patch of bricks. Of course, she was much too short. Even Marco, the tallest of the four, could get nearly high enough to see. Instead, he looked around in the grass by the wall, and found something interesting.  
“Hey,” he called out quietly to the others, bringing them around what he had found; a small pile of tiny stones, buried under a patch of long grass and pushed right up against the wall. What, or whoever, had put them there obviously was hoping they would go unnoticed.  
Oluo crouched down right beside Marco, almost knocking him off balance. He reached over and picked up a handful of the stones. It looked like he was staring at them closely, as though they were a clue. He sighed, dramatically holding his hand to his head, massaging the bridge of his nose.  
“Well, this pile proves that someone was out here. They probably planned this, you know?”  
Petra rolled her eyes, smiling at the two boys, who were biting their lips and trying not to laugh at the older man’s dramatics. She crouched down beside him.  
“Yes, thank you very much, detective.” She clapped a hand down on his shoulder, and stood up, effectively dragging him up with her. She turned to the two cadets. “Well. I would ask if you know anyone who would do this, but I suppose you have two people in mind already, don’t you?”  
Marco and Jean shared a glance. Petra really had been filled in on the situation, or even done her own research. Honestly, it was a relief to both of them. They turned back to her, and nodded slowly to her.

She bit her lip, and glanced up to Oluo, who seemed to relax for a second as he met her eye. He offered her a small, sympathetic smile, before he pulled himself back to his odd, Levi like demeanor. Apparently he had just let it slip his mind earlier, as he appeared to know as much as Petra as he began to think out loud.  
“I doubt the commander would appreciate being woken at this hour. We could check the dorms to check everyone is there, but by now, whoever was doing this had run back to their room already.”

Petra nodded slowly. Oluo had a point. Petra chewed he lip and tried to think her way through their situation. She looked like she was about to say something, when Jean heard something in the distance, and snapped around to look in its direction. Whatever it was, it had come from the direction of the forest, which surrounded the barracks on one side. He squinted at the treeline, only just making out the form of someone in the moonlight, which was blocked out by the tall trees. He could see feet, and legs, and he could feel whoever it was watching them all. The mystery figure stiffened for a second, as if they had only just realised they had been seen, before they span away, kicking up dirt and twigs as they sprinted further in to the darkness of the forest, and out of Jean’s sight.  
“Hey!” Jean called out after them. He frowned, and sprinted towards the trees before any of the other three were aware of what was actually happening. Jean could hear Marco call out after him, but he knew he wouldn’t follow.  
Jean clenched his teeth as he approached the trees. Whoever had been standing there had to have been the one throwing the stones, right? He was almost sure of it.

He skidded to a halt as he approached the treeline. He knew he wouldn’t be able to see anything in the darkness of the forest, even with the moon as bright as it was. He breathed heavily from his sprint, and squinted hard in between the trees. All of his senses were straining as he stood there, looking and listening desperately for any sign of life.

It turns out he didn’t need to look that hard.

There was what sounded like a dull clap of thunder, but the intense vibrations in the ground beneath Jean’s feet made it feel like it had come from under the earth. The air was suddenly scalding hot around him for a brief second before it passed with a wind strong enough to make him lose his balance momentarily.  
“What the-?” He could see Marco, Petra and Oluo all run up to stand beside him, but he couldn’t bring himself to look away from the forest. Something was happening in the darkness. Jean could feel it in his gut.

Petra yelped, and pointed, and everyone looked. Up, over the trees, there was steam. Titan steam. Every muscle in Jean’s body tensed and his mind raced, trying to figure out a plan. Thankfully, Oluo was one step ahead. He barked out his orders to them.  
“We’ve got to get the Commander, right now. If that’s what I think it is, it’s way too close to the barracks! We’re useless out here without our ODM gear! Me and Petra will fetch Erwin and Levi, you two get your gear on!” And without another word, all four of them bolted back the way they had come. They knew Oluo was right. They made it back to the barracks in minutes, and, unsurprisingly, a few soldiers had already been woken up by the rumbling noises from outside. They were stumbling down the dorm hall when Jean and Marco ran through. They didn’t have the time to explain though, hopefully a Squad Leader or someone would come and fill them all in soon. Instead, the pair ran right through the building to the kit room on the far side of the castle. Marco’s hands were trembling, so Jean had to pull the last few straps tight for him. He was going to scold Marco for getting so worked up, when he remembered that the last time Marco had been near a Titan, it hadn’t ended so well. He stood from where he was kneeling beside the brunette, buttoning up the pouch at Marco’s hip, and took Marco’s shaking hands in his own. He held them tight, and took a second to just stand there, his forehead bumped against Marco’s.  
“You got this.” He whispered, before he left a single, chaste kiss against Marco’s freckled cheek. Marco let out a breath he hadn’t realised he had been holding, and bumped his nose affectionately against Jean’s. It made them both smile softly. Jean gripped Marco’s hands extra tight, shaking them to emphasise his point. “I’ll be right there, okay?”  
He felt Marco nod against him.  
“I know, Jean. Thank you.”  
Jean couldn’t help the shudder than ran down his spine. He would never get used to Marco saying his name. He let out a short sigh, and took Marco by the hand, leading him out from the kit room and back in to the yard, where a crowd had gathered already. One commander gave them both a spare Survey Corps cape to put on. As they shrugged them on over their clothes, they could see Oluo and Petra having a flustered conversation with Levi and Erwin. Erwin was resting a hand on Petra’s shoulder, and Levi looked about ready to drop kick Oluo down the stairs, but he stood patiently, arms folded.

Erwin dismissed the two, and they disappeared in to the front of the crowd. Jean let out a sigh. He was more relaxed with the commander around. He had fought Titans before; this was something he could handle. After the insanity and uncertainty of the past two days, this was almost a relief. He glanced to his side to see Marco was staring nervously at the steam. It was billowing up in to the sky and could be clearly seen over the castle wall now. He held Marco’s hand a little tighter, stroking his thumb over his tan knuckles.

Erwin cleared his throat and the yard fell in to silence. Everyone looked to him, the chatter dying down and replaced with the shuffle of feet and the quiet clanking of gas tanks.  
“We are sorry to wake you up at this early hour, but a Titan may have appeared near the barracks.” There was a moment as everyone followed the commander’s gaze over the castle wall. The steam was beginning to fade. They were running out of time. The beast would surely start moving soon. “The objective here is immobilisation!” There were mutters through the crowd of ‘Not this again’ and ‘This isn’t what we trained for’ but Erwin wasn’t going to let those thoughts continue very far. “This is important, soldiers! We can’t leave it to roam around so close to the castle, and to try and take it down so close to the barracks could be dangerous business.”  
There was a murmur of confusion, but nobody was awake or brave enough to challenge their commander on the matter. He saluted the crowd before him, and instantly they dispersed. There was little organisation required. Everyone was to do divide in to their squads, and their Squad Leaders would adhere to Commander Smith’s orders, whatever they would be. It was still too dark to see in the forest, so they were hoping to lure it out. Levi’s squad launched over the wall of the castle and straight in to the trees to try and flush out the Titan. The remainder was left to run around the wall, not wanting to crowd the forest as Squad Levi got to work. Jean held Marco’s hand the whole way round, practically tugging the poor boy along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Even for such a short appearance, writing Petra and Oluo was my favourite part of this entire thing, however annoying I find Oluo in the actual series.


	21. Beginning of the End

The soldiers stumbled to a halt on the brink of the forest. The steam was still billowing up into the dark sky. There was a low rumbling from beyond the trees, and everyone could sense it before they could hear it. They stood, staring in anticipation, straining to hear or see anything. There was the distant sound of shouting, and Levi’s voice cut through the trees, ordering his squad to get out of the way. Every soldier tensed, Erwin, who was stood at the front of the crowd, leaned in forward. The ground began to rumble beneath them, and the steam thinned out until it vanished completely. They yelling became steadily louder, and some soldiers took an unconscious step backwards, away from the trees. Erwin could almost sense it.  
“Don’t back down!” He called out, not tearing his eyes away from the trees for a second. His hands came to rest on the handles of his gear, his fingers twitching.  
Trees were rustling, moving, bending further than the wind would be able to move them, and the ground was trembling now, rhythmic thumping sounds escaping from the trees. There was a tense second of silence, before Squad Levi burst through the leaves and bouncing to the ground, running and tumbling to the grass for the sheer speed they had escaped at.

Erwin looked to Levi in the hopes that he would be able to explain, but even he had fallen to the ground and was breathing heavily. He glanced up at Erwin for a short second, and Erwin understood that this was serious.  
The ground hadn’t stopped shaking, and there was a low growling sound in the air, so deep that the soldiers could feel it deep in their chests. Erwin steadied his footing. He could finally see the movement beyond the trees.  
“Hold!” He wasn’t about to let his troops break away. He was determined to keep them there, until they knew what they were dealing with. Even if that meant standing their ground until the very last second.  
A form appeared in the shadows as it barreled towards them. It was familiar to Jean, but he couldn’t give it all his attention with Marco shaking in his boots beside him. He gripped Marco’s hand tighter, if that was even possible.  
“Hold!” Erwin called again. He could see the giant now, it’s pace unrelenting as it sprinted between the trees. Of course it wouldn’t care about running in to any of them. He took a deep breath, waiting for the Titan to emerge. He didn’t even blink. He could hear the soldiers behind him begin to grab the handles of their gear, attaching blades and adjusting their weight, ready to jump off.

There was a deafening roar that echoed over the plains, and the monster emerged, kicking its way out of the tall trees and skidding to a halt. The second it’s arm appeared through the tree line, Erwin yelled his orders, and the soldiers dispersed. Several trees crashed to the ground around the Titan, and clouds of dirt flew up as it dug its heels in to the ground and ground to an abrupt stop. The soldiers, now spread across the barracks walls, perching in trees, and jogging away from the Titan on the ground, all turned and stared. Jean’s jaw fell slack.

The Armoured Titan was right there, crouched in front of them all. Its chest was heaving, broad shoulders rising and falling, gaze fixed on the ground.

Jean, who was still on the ground, could hear Eren already screaming from somewhere in the trees, but some of Squad Levi were on hand to talk him down. Jean’s mind, already running on a buzz of adrenaline, was jumping to conclusions that he didn’t want to believe. He looked sideways to Marco, who’s eyes were fixed on the Armoured Titan as it knelt and apparently caught its breath.  
“Where did that thing come from?” Marco muttered. Jean almost didn’t hear him.  
“Well, I saw a human run in to the forest, and a Titan came out. I’d bet it’s a Shifter.” Jean sighed, when suddenly, the implication of his own words settled in. “M-Marco, you don’t think that the Armoured Titan is, uh…?”  
Marco finally snapped his eyes from the Titan, though they were still wide as they scanned Jean’s face. He was looking for any hint of humour.  
“Are you serious? You think that’s one of them?”  
“Unless there are more Shifters around the barracks we don’t know about? I’ll bet it was them chucking shit at our window, too.”  
“You think they planned this?”  
“Maybe not the entire Survey Corps getting involved, but yeah. Maybe.” He glanced back to the Titan. It was beginning to fidget. He looked back, hard in to Marco’s eyes. “Look. Let’s just hope Petra and Oluo filled in the commander. Maybe he’s thought the same thing. I guess he has if we’re only here to immobilise the thing.”  
Marco nodded nervously. He stroked his thumb over the back of Jean’s hand before he finally let go, and began prepping his gear. Jean set about doing the same, keeping an ear out for Erwin’s voice and an eye on the Armoured Titan. It was staying too still.

The ground trembled again, and everyone looked up to find the Armoured Titan slowly rising to its feet. They all looked to Erwin, waiting for the orders. His voce travelled clearly from where he crouched in the branches.  
“Squad Mike, stay on the ground as support. Squad Nanaba, work to slice its knees and ankles. Arms if you need to! Squad Levi remains here in the trees to cut it off!”  
The chorus of ‘Sir!’ came loud and clear, before everyone set to work. Jean was in Mike’s Squad, and so he guessed Marco would have to be as well. He could see Mike stood a few feet away, the squad scattered about him. He could see Connie and Sasha, who were in his squad as well. He couldn’t help but grin a little to himself; there was no way Reiner and Bertholdt would get away with this, not with the entire Survey Corps elite coming after them. He tapped on Marco’s shoulder, and nodded towards Mike. They jogged in closer to hear their orders.  
“Spread out. Surround it. They need support on all sides. Don’t engage unless absolutely necessary.” Mike’s voice was clear, and it was a contrast to how quiet a man he was. The troops nodded, and ran off. Sasha and Connie ended up alongside Jean and Marco, all headed to the far side of the Titan, furthest from the barracks.  
Connie nudged Sasha as they ran, and nodded towards the other pair. Sasha gave a sad smile, and called out to them both.  
“Marco, are you sure you’re ready for this? Even physically, are you all healed up?”  
Jean would have told them to shut up and leave him alone, in fact he had, before when Marco was still missing and everyone was constantly asking him if he was okay. But Marco offered Sasha a smile.  
“I’ll be okay, thanks. Besides, I don’t want to leave Jean alone to do anything stupid!” Jean heard the laugh in Marco’s voice, and glared at Connie and Sasha as they spluttered and coughed, trying not to laugh out loud. He rolled his eyes, but couldn’t help but smile. It was nice to be running head first into danger with all of his friends back, joking and laughing, ignoring the deadly world they lived in for just a moment. It was almost like old times.

Connie split off, and then Sasha. Marco said he should go next, and Jean would have protested, but this was a dangerous task and to deny a fellow soldier their support because he wanted to keep his boyfriend safe seemed a little selfish. He nodded reluctantly, and ran on further, leaving Marco spotting a point down the Titan’s left side. Jean came around to its front and stopped, completing their squad’s circle. They watched carefully, and shifted their positions accordingly as Nanaba and her Squad jumped up and around the Armoured Titan. It was anyone’s guess how this would turn out.

The Armoured Titan was beginning to move more now. It had recovered, or, whoever was inside had recovered from their transformation and was ready to get to work. They knew it meant business when it finally lifted its head, and made eye contact with Nanaba. She lost her breath for a second, before recovering herself and giving her squad their orders.  
“Make this quick, alright? Don’t stay too close for too long; if you miss, let someone else pick it up, don’t go back in yourself. Get to it!”  
Her squad all called back before they set off, shooting off their grapples and leaping after them. It only took a few attempts before they realised that only half of their grapples were connecting. The Titan’s skin was too thick for the grapples to break the surface in most places, and the soldiers fell to the ground hard. Nanaba chewed her lip as she considered her options.  
She was distracted from her desperate thoughts when he saw the Titan spin around on its heels, fast. She’d never known a Titan to be so precise in its movements. She called everyone that was now on the ground back, ensuring they were out of the way. The Titan continued to turn, as if it was looking for something. Mike realised this too, and called for his own Squad to retreat out of the way, fast.  
Jean jumped back, even though with the way the Titan was turning it now had its back to him and his three friends. But it was turning fast. Jean waved to Connie, Sasha and Marco, and had them follow him. His plan was to reach Squad Leader Mike by running behind the Titan as it moved. It would be much safer to be in a small group like that. The other three nodded and followed, making it to Mike in only a few seconds. They had to practically sprint the whole way to keep behind the Titan. It was moving fast, and with purpose. Jean noted that this was the same way Marco had moved while in Titan form. This had to be a Shifter.  
The rest of their small squad had a similar idea, and soon the whole squad was stood by their leader, who was watching the Titan carefully. It had stopped turning its whole body, having stopped with its right side to them, and was now just looking around. It definitely looked to Mike like it was searching. As they watched, Nanaba made her call.

She yelled out for her cadets to go all out, try and gain purchase on it while it was distracted, to stick to Commander Smith’s orders, but not for long. As soon as the Titan started to move too much, they had to get out and reconvene with Mike and his squad. Nanaba glanced over to Mike, who nodded in agreement. Nanaba knew his squad would still be their support team if this went south. She fired off her own grapples into the Titan’s upper calf, and thankfully, it stuck. She propelled herself forward faster, poising her blades ready to strike. The second she was within range she swung her arms forwards with all the force she could muster. There was a loud clanging of what sounded like metal on more metal, and the blades bounced right off, leaving barely a scratch. Startled, Nanaba watched her grapples come loose from the Titan’s leg, and she slipped down to the ground, lading hand on her side and denting her gas canister. The Titan looked down at her, seemed to think for a moment, before it picked her up on its toes and flicked her aside, kicking her over to Mike. The Squad Leader ran over to her immediately, checking her over no matter how much she was protesting.  
Mike’s squad backed up a small way, and the Titan seemed to ignore them completely, turning instead to Nanaba’s remaining squad. Most were on the ground, gathering together. A few strays were still at the Titan’s back, having successfully attached their grapples. The Titan stood, as if it was waiting. The soldiers eventually had to swing around the Armoured Titan’s front, so they could come back around for another go at its nape. The instant the first soldier appeared in its vision, the Titan snapped its head to look down at them, before plucking them clean from the air. It yanked them so their grapples came free from its back, and everyone looked away.

There were screams, then there was silence, and the Titan dropped a limp body to the ground. There was a quiet squelch as they landed. Jean heard Marco whimper beside him. Nanaba’s remaining squad stared in horror. Distracted, another two failed to notice they had entered the Titan’s vision. By the time they did, it was too late. Each soldier was plucked from the air and tossed away. Jean couldn’t even see where they landed, but he couldn’t imagine it was pretty.  
Sasha bit back a yelp at the sight. “Why isn’t it eating anyone?”  
Connie gasped. “God, yeah. It’s just… killing people!”  
“Maybe… Maybe it’s an abnormal?” Sasha suggested. Connie scoffed.  
“Or another person like Eren? He never ate anyone!”  
Jean was at least glad that other people were coming to the same conclusion as him.

Mike, finally convinced Nanaba wasn’t seriously injured, came back to his squad. “They need you. Go.”  
The squad offered him a salute, before all running back in to the fray. A few of them shot of grapples instantly, going on the offensive. Sasha ran over to where one of Nanaba’s soldiers was stood, frozen in fear.  
Of course it wasn’t long before the Titan grabbed at the wires now protruding from its back, and yanked on them. It used them to throw around the soldiers they were attached to, before throwing them down and letting go, sending the soldiers plummeting towards the earth where they landed. A mess of broken bones and bleeding limbs. Almost all of Nanaba’s already small squad was gone now. Jean stood, staring. He was too close to where one of the poor souls had landed. He could see it perfectly. He wished it made him feel sick, but he had seen too much death already for it to even affect him. As he stood, Marco clung to his side, and several soldiers from their own squad met a similar, gruesome fate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I'm not trying to forget this story!
> 
> I'd also like people to now the word I most constantly misspelled while writing these last few chapters was 'titan'.


	22. Strategy

Eren couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the dust settle and the Armoured Titan reveal itself to them all. He had been intending to meet the Titan head on, but as soon as it had emerged from the forest, Hange plucked him up and carried him with her to the trees, where they crouched along with Levi and Erwin. Eren had fought against Hange’s surprisingly strong grasp, until she had set him down on the branch beside her, though she kept a hand on his shoulder to stop him from running off. Levi and Erwin both landed on a branch just across from them both. Gunther, Eld, Petra and Oluo all alighted a little further off, keeping an eye on the Armoured Titan and the two other squads. The talked quietly among themselves.  
“Eren, please,” Erwin reached his hand forward a small way, “You can’t let personal feeling interfere here.”  
The boy snapped his eyes up to his commander. “They aren’t personal feelings, sir! A Titan is a Titan! And that Titan in particular has done too much damage, to the walls! To us! How can we not take this chance?”  
Levi cut him off, scowling deeply. “Because your commander has told you that the goal is to immobilise that Titan, brat.”  
Erwin gently placed a hand on the captain’s shoulder, warning him to let up a little. Levi sighed, but shifted his weight to his back foot and crossed his arms over his chest, relenting.  
“However blunt, Levi is right. The objective is to secure the Armoured Titan.”  
“Yes! I’ve already had one abnormal slip through my fingers this week and I don’t want another one! Marco was quite interesting to study, don’t get me wrong, but a real Titan is what we really need to win this fight!” Hange’s outburst made Eren jump, but with her iron grip on his shoulder, he couldn’t escape it and had to let her shout right beside his ear.  
Erwin smiled at Hange’s energy, and shook his head with a soft smile. “Eren, you must understand that brute force may win an individual battle, but not necessarily the whole war. We can’t continue to simply hack away at the Titans and hope they give up. We must know our enemy.”  
Eren let out a sign, and relaxed back on his heels. “Fine. But are we really just going to stand here and watch?” His voice was more sincere now. He knew he had to stay calm. He looked to Erwin for any more advice.

The commander seemed to hesitate for a second. He looked to Levi, who held his gaze for a while, before he shrugged, and returned to staring at his boot. Erwin looked back to Eren and Hange.  
“We have reason to believe that this Titan is, in fact, a Shifter.”  
Eren raised his eyebrows, surprised. Hange visibly deflated beside him.  
“Again?” she wailed, “Just my luck.”  
Ignoring Hange leaning on his shoulder, Eren quirked his head at Erwin.  
“Wh… Why would you think that?”  
Erwin took a deep breath. “Marco made a report to us when he returned that he believed the people responsible for his… ‘death’ were, in fact, Titan Shifters, and that they were now in the Survey Corps. He also believed that they were directly linked to the breaking of the walls. Of course, we didn’t know that they would be this infamous Armoured Titan, but it must be said that the Armoured Titan being a Shifter explains how it was able to come and go so suddenly after destroying walls Maria and Rose. It all connects rather well.”  
Eren nodded slowly to himself, letting this new knowledge sink in. He had wondered why Jean and even Marco had been a little on edge lately. Not much, but he had noticed it, though he had put it down to Marco being back and still trying to adjust. He knew he was confused when he had first emerged from a Titan body, and he had only been in it for an hour or so.   
“You won’t tell me who they think it is, will you?”  
Erwin shook his head with a smile. “I’ve probably told you too much already. You cannot share this information with anyone. You must take it and understand that this Armoured Titan is a key suspect now. For breaking the walls, and perhaps more importantly, for the death of your friend.”  
Eren nodded. He owed Marco this much. He hadn’t even realised he was dead until they had all joined the Survey Corps and Jean had told him that morning. Maybe this was his chance to make it up to him?

A loud shriek caught the attention of everyone perching in the tree line. Hange and Eren both stood to properly see what was happening below them. The squads were scattered, and Nanaba, it looked like, and fallen, and Mike was worrying over her. Erwin frowned, stepping forward on his branch. Levi watched the commander carefully, but said nothing.  
“Thank goodness, she’s okay.” Hange sighed.  
“Hang on.” Levi cut in. He stepped forwards on his and Erwin’s tree branch, nudging past the commander and leaning in to get a better look. Levi focused in on the Armoured Titan, on its hands. He saw them moving upwards, towards the soldiers who were coming around the Titan’s body again. He lurched forward, but a firm hand on his chest stopped him in his tracks. He glared up at Erwin, almost growling his name.  
“Erwin. Let me go.” He stared hard in to Erwin’s eyes.  
The commander shook his head. “And lose you instead? Levi, some sacrifices have to be made.”  
Levi frowned so hard his face almost ached. Slowly, he let go of his ODM handles, stepping back. Hange stepped in to diffuse the situation.  
“Commander! How do you say we proceed? This Titan is clearly becoming agitated.”  
There were yells from below and Eren saw two soldiers thrown to the distance. He winced. Hange looked to Erwin with a little more urgency. “Sir?”  
Eren watched the commander’s face for any hint for what he might say next. It at least looked like Erwin knew this wouldn’t end well.  
“Eren. You will have to step in.”  
Everyone looked up in confusion, and intrigue.  
“Sir?”  
Erwin turned to Eren. “They are having too much trouble gaining purchase on the Armoured Titan’s body, and even when they do, their blades aren’t cutting through.”  
Eren struggled to find the right words. “But, sir! I-I don’t know if it’s such a good idea!” Eren’s mind could only fixate on what he had tried to do to Mikasa last time he had transformed. He didn’t know if he trusted himself, with so many of his friends down there.  
Hange appeared to be on his side. “Sir, Eren’s shifting ability is still unpredictable, I don’t know if we should risk the lives of-”  
“I agree.” Levi’s voice cut through Hange’s, and everyone turned to him. “We shouldn’t waste any more time here. I understand you concerns but we have to do what is right for everyone.”  
Erwin nodded to himself. Eren looked around himself, trying to figure out if this really was what was right. As he looked down, he saw the wires of more soldiers get tugged on. He could hear their shrieks, and the yells of those that had to watch, helpless. He frowned hard, and shook Hange’s hand from his shoulder. He sighed, and his brow settled in to a determined line. He met Erwin’s eyes.  
“Alright,” he grunted.  
Erwin nodded. “And you understand what Levi has agreed to do if you do lose control?”  
Levi interjected. “Of course we won’t kill you right away. We’ll try to cut you free first, but I can’t guarantee that all of your limbs would make it out with you.”   
Eren winced, but nodded. “I understand.” Erwin looked around to check that there were no other objections, then turned back to Eren.  
“Incapacitate it. Retrieve whoever is inside if you can. Levi’s squad and myself will be looking out for you.”  
Eren nodded as he stepped closer to the edge of the tree branch. He took a deep breath, and one last glance out at the Armoured Titan. He could see Mikasa and Armin, who were almost all that was left of Nanaba’s squad, and they were headed towards a small crowd that appeared to be everyone he knew from the 104th, and a few others. At least they were safe. With a final breath, he stepped out, and off the branch. He could hear Hange gasp and call out after him as he fell quickly towards the ground. But he knew what he was doing. He pulled his hand to his face, and bit down as hard as he could, the taste of his blood hot on his tongue. There was a clap of lightning, and Eren grinned wide. 

This Armoured Titan was going down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This whole chapter wasn't going to happen until I realised how much wiggle room I had in my word count for NaNoWriMo, and decided I wanted to spend more time with Erwin.


	23. Futile

Armin and Mikasa sprinted over to where they could see their friends standing. Mikasa scanned the group, checking that everyone was safe.  
Sasha threw herself at Mikasa. “Thank goodness you’re both alright!”  
Connie tried to peel her off. “What does this thing want?”  
Armin chewed his lip Mikasa looked to him, urging him to tell them his thoughts.  
“It feels like it’s looking for something in particular? Maybe someone?”  
“Is that why you two were running around with your hoods up?” Jean gestured to them both. Their hoods had been pulled as far forward as possible, and they had been holding them in place as they ran over. “’Cause that’s a good idea.” Armin smiled and thanked Jean with a shy mumble.  
There was a murmur of agreement from the group, and everyone tugged their hoods up. Mikasa looked like he was about to say something, when a rush of hot air hit them all.

An all too familiar rumbling sound and a near deafening crash caught everyone’s attention. Even the Armoured Titan appeared to look up from the ground. The earth shook, and a plume of steam and cloud of dirt flew up. Out of the cloud stepped another Titan. Everyone gasped, but Mikasa held up a hand.  
“Eren.”  
Everyone looked at her, then to the Titan, and sure enough, as the steam dissipated, they could recognise the familiar mess of brown hair and intimidating glare of bright green eyes. There was a buzz of excitement.  
“We should let him handle this.” Armin nodded to himself.  
Mikasa hummed in agreement, before she looked up to the rest of the group. “Stay out of his way, and keep your faces covered.” Everyone agreed, and they quickly dispersed.

Eren flexed his arms and legs, adjusting to his new body, before his eyes settled on the Armoured Titan, who had now turned to face Eren. The soldiers on the ground could only watch as the Armoured Titan shifted its weight, balancing itself and ready to take whatever hit Eren could muster. Eren continued walking right towards the other Titan, his speed gradually picking up until he was sprinting. The sounds of his feet against the earth was deafening. Armin clutched his hands to his ears.

Eren let out an ear splitting roar as he collided with the Armoured Titan, ramming his shoulder right against it and sending them both careening backwards and tumbling on the ground in a mess of limbs. Eren peeled himself from the Armoured Titan, and clambered on top of it, taking the chance to land punch after vicious punch to the Armoured Titan’s jaw. All the while, the other Titan shoved against Eren’s chest, trying to throw him off. But Eren’s sheer determination kept him fixed to the spot. He began to tire out, having barely made a dent in the Armoured Titan’s face while his own hand was mutilated and steaming as it struggled to repair itself.  
As Eren frowned at his hand, a low rumbling in his throat, the Armoured Titan took the chance to lurch upwards, smashing its own head into Eren’s. Eren cried out and fell backwards. The Armoured Titan pulled itself out from under him and stood, quickly turning to Eren, and kicking him in the side, sending him skidding even further back. Eren fought to get up before the Armoured Titan caught up with him, but the other Titan was too fast. Before Eren could push himself from the floor, the Armoured Titan was on him, and bringing down his foot on Eren’s jaw with earth shaking force. Mikasa and Armin both winced as they saw Eren’s lower jaw split from his face entirely, crushed under the Armoured Titan’s foot.  
Armin yelped. “Shouldn’t we do something?”  
“If you want to get in the middle of that, be my guest.” Jean scoffed.  
Mikasa glared at him. “We should help.”  
Marco stepped forward, still close to Jean’s side. “Shouldn’t we wait for commander’s orders? It sounded like he had a very specific plan.”  
“Tch. I don’t want to wait for Commander Smith to let Eren get beaten to dust before he does anything.”  
Jean rolled his eyes. “God. He’s been nothing but good to Eren! To all of us! Can you not trust the man just once?” Jean wouldn’t have protested normally, but he, Marco, and the commander all knew more about this mess than she did. They had to catch the Shifter, for Humanity. For Marco. Mikasa sighed, and seemed to relent for the moment.

Eren could only produce a gargled noise as he threw his arm up, grabbing the Armoured Titan’s leg and yanking it down. It brought the Armoured Titan down on top of himself, winding him and crushing his chest, but also brought the other Titan within grabbing range. While the Titan was trying to recover, Eren grabbed either side of its head and tossed it to one side. The Armoured Titan was flung to the ground, narrowly missing a small crowd of soldiers below. Eren hear the shrieks, and mentally scolded himself for not being more careful.

His jaw and hand now both destroyed, Eren managed to flip himself back on to his feet. He reached down and pulled the Titan to its feet by its shoulders. His grip was so hard with his complete hand that he could almost see cracks appearing in the Titan’s plating skin. The Armoured Titan grabbed Eren’s wrists, as hard as it could. Eren heard his wrists snapping, but fought on regardless, pulling the Armoured Titan off the ground completely and tossing it to the ground head first. Eren was hopeful when he heard a cracking sound. He hoped it was the Armoured Titan’s neck.  
He stepped over the Armoured Titan and stepped down hard on its chest, repeatedly. Slowly, between the blows to its chest, the Armoured Titan span itself around on to its back. When Eren had to stop to recover his breath, and give his foot a chance to heal up a little, the Armoured Titan lunged upwards, ramming its hands against Eren’s knees. Eren could feel them break as they were jarred too far backwards. He cried out, and crumpled to the floor, legs broken and useless. His whole body was aching, and steaming. He was desperately trying to will his Titan body to heal faster. He had to get up, he had to dig out the human that as inside this beast. But his body wouldn’t allow it. He lay there, his chest heaving and a steady stream of frustrated rumbles leaving what was left of his throat.

The Armoured Titan leapt to its feet, thin wisps of smoke drifting from small cracks in its chest. It looked as though it was almost grinning as it brought its foot down again on Eren’s chest, harder this time, until the skin broke, and the Titan was able to kick its way right through Eren’s chest.  
Desperately, Eren clawed at the Armoured Titan’s legs, trying to bring it back down so he would be able to reach the nape of its neck. That was all he had to do, just reach around and rip the Shifter out of their body. The other Titan leant in close, getting its face right up next to Eren’s, and roared. Eren barely winced, continuing to fight against the other Titan’s grip, glaring up at it. Not leaning back, the Armoured Titan grabbed each of Eren’s wrists, and tugged at them. Eren could feel the skin of his shoulders beginning to tear. He writhed and struggled, trying to kick up with his broken legs at the other Titan, but the Armoured Titan was unfazed by his struggling. It continued to pull, and Eren’s struggling only made his arms come free faster, until with one last tug and a triumphant growl, Eren’s arms were plucked from his body as if they were nothing. It was all Eren could do to roar and scream and the Armoured Titan threw his arms to one side. His shoulders steamed, hissing just below his ears. Eren was useless, and defenceless. In a last attempt, he threw himself forward and smashed his head against the Armoured Titans, feeling his own skull crack under the force. The Armoured Titan was sent backwards, and the force of his own movement left Eren falling forward, until he was sitting up, slouched. He could hear Mikasa crying out for him from where he sat.

From the branches, the second the Armoured Titan began to yank at Eren’s arms, Erwin looked to Levi. The Captain nodded, and jumped from the tree branch, shooting grapples in to the trunk and swinging around to the ground. He ran from the forest, sprinting towards the two Titans. Once he was close enough, he fired off he grapples again and they secure themselves in to the steaming flesh of Eren’s shoulder. He propelled himself upwards with gas, and ran up Eren’s back, jumping up and landing on what was left of his shoulder.  
He glanced to his left, and saw that the Armoured Titan was recovering itself from the ground and hadn’t noticed his arrival. He set about quickly slicing away at the flesh of Eren’s neck. Steam billowed, and the slice of meat fell away to the ground. Levi slid his blades back in to the sheath, and grabbed Eren by the shoulders. He tore away the sinew and flesh that was holding the boy in the Titan body, and with one hard tug, Eren came free. Levi pulled him out, and tucked him under one arm. He slid back down the decaying Titan body, and ran back for the forest, to take Eren back up the tree and have Hange look him over. Eren was unconscious, and heavy, and Levi struggled to carry him and operate his ODM gear, but he managed, and lay down the boy as soon as he could. He left Eren to Hange, and stepped back beside Erwin.  
“What now?” he muttered.  
Erwin glanced around, looking unsure.  
“We go down. If that is Braun or Hoover, we need them caught.”  
Levi sighed. “Futile. He’ll end us all before we could do anything. It’s a waste.”  
“Wouldn’t you at least die trying?” Levi frowned, glaring up at his commander. But Erwin wasn’t fazed. He knew his way around Levi’s emotions. He continued. “He’s clearly looking for someone; I’d wager Jean or Marco. We can use this to our advantage. If they keep him busy for long enough, with your elite squad I’m sure we can cut through. Besides, if things get bad, we do have another Titan Shifter on our side, remember?”  
Levi snorted derisively through his nose.  
“Fine.” He knew when Erwin had a plan and he certainly had one now- one he wasn’t about to reveal - and Levi had learnt to trust Erwin’s decisions. He sighed, and gave in.  
Erwin rolled his eyes, and brought a hand down on Levi’s shoulder. Levi frowned harder, but knew Erwin was right, as ever.  
Erwin smiled slightly, and nodded. “Gather your squad, and wait for further instruction.” Erwin gave his order, and left the tree, following the way down Levi had taken, and running across the grass to meet with the gathered soldiers. The sky was slowly becoming lighter.

Erwin was met with a round of salutes.  
“I see you’ve decided to keep your faces hidden. Good job, however, I think we need to let it have what it wants.”  
Jean froze. For a wild second, he forgot himself, even ignoring Marcos desperate shushing and tugging at his sleeve.  
“We’re not just going to give him Marco, are you kidding?”  
Erwin yelled back. “Now is not the time for discussion, Kirstein! You are to go out there with a section of your squad. Do your best to take out it’s legs!”  
There was a chorus of ‘Yes, sir!’ and a section of the crowd that Erwin motioned to ran out. Jean hesitated, only leaving when Erwin sent a glare in his direction. Reluctantly, he followed his new squad, leaving Marco with one final look.

Marco followed Jean with his eye as the new small squad ran up to the Armoured Titan. The Titan was finally back on its feet, and had noticed the squad approaching. It walked towards them, quickly closing the gap between them. The squad’s confidence quickly vanished and they froze. Jean rolled his eyes at his fellow soldier’s lack of resolve. He grasped the handles to his gear, and was the first in the squad to secure their grapples in some soft skin in the crease of the Titan’s knee. He propelled forwards and forced his blades forwards. The Titan was still walking, and pulled its leg away. Jean’s blades barely broke the skin. He cursed himself, and jumped off of the Titan, dropping himself back to the ground.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think this is what we all came here for. The chapter when I apparently just wanted to write a Titan smack down. I also watched some sweet Kaiju short films before I wrote this to get the energy for it. As someone who usually writes dumb domsetic fluff and occasionally smut, I picker a weird story line.


	24. Let Him Be

Erwin and the small squad he was left with retreated to the tree line, Levi’s squad keeping watch above them. Mike came back, Nanaba in his arms. Erwin asked Mike to stay, and sent Nanaba back to the barracks with two soldiers as escorts. They were to take her to the medical ward. Hange dropped down from the tree and went with them, Eren in her arms. He’d suffered a head injury somewhere in his brawl with the Armoured Titan.  
Mikasa stepped forward. “Sir, we aren’t going to just stand here are we?”  
The commander looked to her. “Yes. We are.” Mike looked at Erwin in quiet disbelief. Even Levi and his squad looked to each other in confusion as they heard the conversation below them.  
Mikasa froze. “Commander, with all respect, I can’t see how that is the logical choice!” Armin rested a tentative hand on her shoulder to stop her from acting on her anger. Erwin looked her over, before turning to Mike, who was stood close by his side. He whispered something in the Squad Leader’s ear, Mike nodded, then sprinted off in the direction of the fight.  
“You’re keeping things from us!” Mikasa growled.  
“This situation is more complicated than merely trying to capture a Titan.” Erwin said. His voice was calm and level. Armin tugged at Mikasa’s sleeve.  
“Mikasa, please,” he whispered, “You have to trust him!”  
Scowling, Mikasa stepped back. Erwin nodded his thanks. “We are to sit here and watch. If the squad requires back up, then we are here to provide it.”  
It was an explanation that almost made sense to everyone, so they accepted it. Mikasa frowned, and turned away from the commander. Armin did her best to calm her down.

Connie and Sasha turned to Marco, both scared of even making eye contact with Mikasa. Connie covered his mouth as he whispered.  
“What’s up with Commander Smith? Isn’t he usually an upfront guy?”  
Marco smiled nervously. “If he thinks it’s best to keep something from us for the sake of a mission, we have to trust his decision, right?”  
Sasha nodded, though she didn’t look too convinced. “I guess so?”  
Connie nodded. “I guess he’s done it before. It just feels a little weird to do it with the Armoured Titan, and this close to the barracks!”  
Marco shrugged, unable to truly focus on the conversation. His eyes were fixed on the battle ahead of them.

Mike ran right in to the fray, coming to a halt by the small group of the squad that were still on the ground. Jean had told them about the soft spot on the back of the Titan’s leg, and now they were almost taking it in turns to take a slice from it. There wasn’t enough space for two sets of grapples. The others were doing their best to distract the Titan, swinging about its head, trying to stay as far away from its hands as they could, constantly re-firing their grapples so the Titan wouldn’t have a chance to snatch them. Jean released his grapples and fell to the ground, just as the Titan bent at the waist and went to grab at the small group. They dispersed, some grappling up on to it, others running between its feet. Mike ended up beside Jean, both having sprinted out of the Titan’s grasp. While it was preoccupied with swatting away the soldiers around its head, Mike caught Jean’s attention.

“We should take a leg each.” Was his simple message. Jean looked to the Squad Leader, confused. But Jean wasn’t given a chance to question the reason for Mike’s apparently sudden decision. The Titan lost its balance slightly and tripped backwards. Its foot came down above him, and he had to leap backwards out ow the way, almost tripping over himself in the process. He ran around the foot to ask Mike what his plan was, exactly, but he found the Squad Leader had already secured his grapples in the Titan’s leg and was jumping up after them.  
With no other real choice, and not seeing the harm in trying, Jean ran back around and did the same with the other leg. He hoisted himself up, coming at the leg from an angle. He held his blades back and with a grunt, he swung them forwards. To his relief, he sliced away a chunk from the Titan’s leg. He was quick to release his grapples and fall back to the ground. He was glad to see Mike do the same on the other side, calling out to anyone still attached to the Titan that it was about to go down.

The Titan roared as its own legs gave out under it and it fell to its knees. Soldiers came to the ground around it, still trying to stay out of its grabbing range. One soldier Jean recognised from the mess hall landed too close, and was swept up in the Armoured Titan’s hand on one clean move. She shrieked, but nobody could do anything as her screams were muffled by the monstrous hand, and then stopped entirely. It was on its knees, but still surprisingly mobile. It was reaching out for any soldier it could reach, but everyone managed to keep out of its way.  
Jean stumbled around and met with Mike again.  
“How did you know that would work this time?”  
Mike shrugged, as if that was any kind of answer. Jean frowned, but was relieved they had done some damage at last. He stepped backwards, rubbing his face in his hands. He couldn’t lose focus now, he thought to himself. He looked back up, in time to see the Titan spin its head around to look directly at him. It was unsettling. This thing didn’t have nice looking human eyes like Marco had, theirs was a blank stare, with no discernible emotion. It froze Jean for a second, and he realised that his hood had fallen from his head during the fight. His own thoughts began to scream around in his head. He finally had a chance to cut this bastard open and see who was inside. He called out to Mike that he was going for the neck. He didn’t have a chance to notice Mike did nothing to stop him. He ran right to the Titan’s hand, and leapt up on it before it could grab him. He was too close to use his ODM gear, and didn’t want to risk it grabbing at his wires. He ran up the Titan’s arm and on to its shoulder. He grunted as the Titan moved under him and he had to shift his weight to stay upright.

Jean pulled his blades from their scabbards and prepared to jump down to the nape. The Titan’s weight shifted too fast, and Jean had to pause for a second. He went to jump down again, but was interrupted by a yell down below. Glancing down to see who it was, he saw a soldier calling, waving to him and pointing at something. Jean frowned, and tried to follow their gaze. He spun carefully on his heels, only to come face to face with the Titan’s open palm, coming fast towards him.

Marco’s breath caught in his throat when he saw Jean engulfed in the giant’s hand. He had been watching the entire event from where he was standing in the trees. He clutched his hands to his chest, and Jean’s name escaped from his lips in a nervous breath. His eyes were fixed on the Armoured Titan’s hand as it vanished behind the Titan’s body. He stopped breathing.  
“Jean…?” He took an unconscious step forwards, waiting in suspense. He watched carefully, until he saw the hand fall back to the Titan’s side. It was loose, and Marco could see something that looked awfully like a body fall to the ground. He could make out the blonde undercut, and the familiar green button up shirt.  
“Jean!” Marco shrieked.  
Sasha ran to his side. He looked so suddenly pale that she hooked an arm under his shoulders to keep him upright.  
“Marco? Marco are you okay?” She shook him gently, but Marco couldn’t tear his eyes from the Titan. He could feel tears burning behind his eyes. “Marco!”

There was a gentle tap on Sasha’s shoulder. She looked around, and saw Commander Erwin, stopped down a little to be on her eye level.  
“Do- I, uh, commander-”  
Erwin waved a hand in dismissal. “Would you mind if I have a moment alone with Marco?”  
Sasha frowned, clearly confused. But she wasn’t about to say no to her commander. She slowly let go of Marco’s shoulders, and turned to leave. She spotted Connie stood not too far away, and so went to stand by him instead. She walked off with a final glance over to Marco. She was startled when Commander Erwin met her eyes, and quickly ducked her head, walking away faster.

Erwin placed his arm over Marco’s shoulders, also noticing that Marco looked unsteady on his feet. He leant in, whispering as he spoke.  
“What’s the matter, Marco?”  
The boy struggled to fight his uneasy breathing to choke out his words. “That… That was J-Jean. It killed… It killed Jean.”  
Erwin nodded. “You want revenge, no?”  
Marco jumped a little under the commander’s arm, surprised by this seemingly unprofessional approach. “Um, I… Isn’t that…”  
The commander stood back up to his full height, shaking his head. “It’s what we need, Marco. Let your emotions course though you. Do you feel them? You have to feel them, Marco.”  
Marco frowned, but he let the commander’s words sink in. He could feel his emotions. He was upset, and lost and confused and he was… Angry? Marco didn’t feel angry very often, and the feeling was odd to him. But he could feel it creeping through him, inch by inch. It was uncomfortable and tingling at first, but soon it felt like his every nerve was on fire. He glanced down, and saw his hands shaking. He frowned.  
“Commander, I-”  
Erwin patted his hand down on Marco’s shoulder. “I think you know what you need to do, Marco. You have the power. The ability. You can help make this right.”  
Erwin let go of Marco, and stepped away, returning to the small throng of soldiers behind them, leaving Marco to his thoughts.

Marco let the tears roll freely down his face and he fell to his knees. He only thought he knew what Commander Smith was getting at. Did he want Marco to try and transform into his Titan form again? Did Marco even want to do that? Would he be able to control it? Would they be able to cut him out again? He wanted to run out there and scoop up Jean in his arms. He wanted to check and see if Jean really had been crushed by the Armoured Titan. Would it be worth this risk? It was too confusing for him and only made him angrier about it all. His chest shuddered with each breath.

The fire inside him turned into a raging blaze and Marco didn’t have the energy to try and fight it. He sat there, helpless to the emotions inside of him, until he was almost in pain. He fell forwards, catching himself with his palms flat on the ground. He balled them into fists, pulling up the dirt and grass beneath. His sobs turned to whines, to moans. Before he even realises, he’s knelt on the ground screaming to himself. The rest of the soldiers gathered by the trees slowly noticed, and all turned to look at him. Erwin held his arm out in front of those who went to approach Marco, Armin included. The young blond looked up to the commander, confused.  
“Sir?”  
“Let him be.”  
Mikasa frowned, and glared at the commander.  
“There is too much waiting going on here, sir. Marco is hurting and we are just supposed to leave him to it?” She harshly shrugged Armin’s hand from her shoulder, finally losing her patience with their so-called genius commander.  
Erwin simply returned her hard gaze, staring her down until she relented. It looked like Erwin was going to say something, but everyone’s attention was taken by Marco again, when he slowly struggled to his feet. It looked as though his entire body was trembling. He looked over his shoulder and met Erwin’s eyes. The commander nodded slowly, hiding the small smile he felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Erwin is a dick to Marco, but he has his reasons.  
> I feel bad for putting Marco through so much shit, but I hurt because I care.


	25. Old Enemies

Marco let himself go. His vision blurred with tears, and his body truly felt like it was on fire. He scrunched his eyes shut, and shuddered at the sensation of warm flesh engulfing him. It was overwhelmingly hot and soon the newly formed muscles were tightening around him, holding him uncomfortably in place in his rapidly forming body. He could hear his body groaning and he tried to regulate his breathing, until he felt steady on his feet. He opened his eyes, blinking in the light as he adjusted to his monstrous body. He had spent a month inside it, but readjusting again took a moment. He could hear the cries of the soldiers and his friends stood in the trees, but shook them off. His eyes were fixed on the Armoured Titan, who was now struggling to its feet, steam billowing out from the backs of its legs. There were a few soldiers from the new squad strewn about, injured, while the others tried their best to keep the Titan down. When they saw Marco, they stopped, and quickly scattered, anticipating another brawl.

Marco flexed his hands, bones cracking and sinew stretching. His brows fell in to a determined line, and he stepped forward. The earth shook and the Armoured Titan clearly sensed it. It shoved itself to its feet and span around to face Marco, and snarled. Marco swallowed his fear, and before the Armoured Titan had time to even steady itself, Marco raised a fist high, and brought it fast against the other Titan’s jaw. He felt his knuckles crack under the force, but he didn’t care. The Armoured Titan was sent reeling backwards and before it could right itself again, Marco raised hi foot and kicked the Titan square in the chest sending it crashing to the floor in a cloud of dust.  
With the sun slowly tainting the sky orange, Marco could see the glint in the Armoured Titan’s eyes. It was frighteningly familiar, and sent a nervous shudder down his spine. He recognised it. His mouth moved against the flesh and tendons that held him in place inside the Titan.   
“Reiner.”  
It was the same look he had seen on the rooftop that day. Suddenly everything fell in to place. When Reiner and Bertholdt had been talking about the hole they had made, it was literally the hole that the Armoured Titan had made. Reiner was working against humanity? It explained their odd behaviour, and now he understood why they would want him dead; if he had figured this out any sooner, he would have posed a real threat to whatever their plan was. Marco was suddenly disgusted with them both. They were the enemy.  
Reiner tried to grab Marco’s leg, trying to pull him to the ground but Marco was quick enough to step backwards. Reiner swiftly followed him, flipping himself back up on to his feet. He followed his momentum through and threw his hand forwards in a wild punch which smashed against Marco’s shoulder, dislocating it with a loud cracking sound. Marco groaned, grabbing Reiner’s wrist with his opposite hand and yanking him forwards. He stepped to the side and let Reiner fall forwards, giving him the chance to shove his shoulder back in to place. He had to bite back a yelp at the jolt of pain and the aching sensation it left him with.

With Reiner on his front, trying to quickly push himself up, Marco came upon him, bringing a foot down on the small of his back and pushing down, grinding Reiner in to the ground. Marco knew he could keep Reiner busy, but the armour plating would stop him from getting at Reiner himself unless he could wear him down enough to just tear the plates away. He glanced back to the forest, and saw Erwin talking with Levi. It looked like he was sending Levi and his squad out to support him. He understood now why Erwin had held them back until now. He was relieved, and figured he would just need to keep Reiner busy. He relented, and lifted his foot from Reiner’s back. He stood back as Reiner stood, and span to face him with a vicious snarl. Marco made sure Reiner had his back to the trees, looking away from Squad Levi.

Jean awoke to the sight of two familiar Titans in what he could only call a fist fight in front of him. He was under the shade of the trees, out of the light of the steadily rising sun. He bolted upright, only to feel a violent thumping against the inside of his head. He looked around, and found Squad leader Mike knelt by his side, his eyes also stuck on the Titan brawl taking place ahead of them. Over Mike’s shoulder, Jean could see Erwin, and a crowd that he saw was the remaining squad, stood watching. They didn’t seem to know that he or Mike were there. He looked back to his squad leader, and cleared his throat quietly. Mike’s eyes made their steady way to him.  
Jean was a little intimidated by the man’s gaze, not to mention still confused and in pain. All he could manage was a tilt of his head, but that seemed to communicate his feelings to Mike.  
“It’s all part of the plan,” was the simple answer he received.  
He frowned. “What plan?”  
“Erwin’s.” And apparently that was all the help he was going to get, as the squad leader pushed himself up to his feet, and started off in the direction of Commander Erwin and the other soldiers. “Stay here until I come for you.” And he jogged away, leaving Jean sitting in the cold, dewy grass. He reached up, and delicately touched the back of his head, his hair was tacky. Jean recognised it as blood instantly. But it wasn’t wet anymore, so he must have stopped bleeding already. That was a relief.

He turned back to watch the Titans fighting. He had known the new Titan was Marco the second he lay eyes on him. He was familiar with Marco’s hand to hand fighting style as well, low and balanced, more focused on defensive than offensive moves.  
Erwin clearly had a plan, but must have been keeping it to himself if Mike wasn’t allowed to tell him any more than what he had. Jean frowned. But he trusted Erwin, and knew that the commander had been kind to him and Marco. He had to trust him.  
The other part of his mind was preoccupied with trying to figure out what happened to Marco to make him transform. He recalled Hange saying something about extreme emotions being the cause of his transformations. Had something happened to Marco? Were Armin and Mikasa alright? He was suddenly panicking. He scrambled to his feet, ignoring the loud thumping inside of his head which almost sent him back to the floor.

He watched carefully as Marco kept his arms near his face to fend off Reiner’s relentless blows. He was sending punch after punch at Marco, only taking occasional breaks to come close to Marco again. Jean was screaming inside. Why wasn’t Marco trying to take him out already?  
Jean’s focus was taken by the glinting of orange sunlight off of gas canisters. He saw Levi at the head of his squad, with the other four following behind, sprinting out across the ground to where the two Titans were fighting. He relaxed slightly. Marco must have known. He was keeping the Armoured Titan occupied so they had the time they needed to break through its tough skin. He sat back down on the ground, giving in to the aching pain in his skull, comfortable that Marco knew what he was doing. And Marco wasn’t the type to make rash choices, not like Jean himself. Jean sighed, and watched carefully in case Marco needed him. Though he wasn’t sure if he was ready to defy Squad Leader Mike’s orders. The guy was intimidating.

Marco was taking a beating, and he knew it. He could practically feel his arms cracking with the force of Reiner’s blows. But he dug his heels in to the ground and pulled his arms in tighter.  
Reiner looked like he was almost tiring out, taking more breaks between his blows. Marco was tempted to grab Reiner by the wrists and throw him over his head. He was tempted to step right on Reiner’s head until it cracked open like an egg. He was tempted to rip this Armoured Titan limb from wretched limb for what Reiner had done to him, to humanity, and what he had threatened to do to Jean.  
Marco snarled, surprising even himself. Reiner paused for a second when he heard the low rumble, but quickly recovered, and went in for another rough punch, aiming right for Marco’s jaw. Marco ducked his head, hearing the air move as Reiner’s fist flew over him. Reiner stumbled forward, and Marco neatly side stepped out of the way. As Reiner stumbled, Marco stuck out one leg and let Reiner trip right over it. Reiner was winded as he crashed to the ground, and Marco was fast to swing his legs either side of the Armoured Titan. He knelt down, flipping Reiner over by the shoulders under him.

Jean watched, wondering what had gotten in to Marco all of a sudden. He was glad the Armoured Titan was going to get what it deserved, but didn’t Marco have a plan? Jean could see Levi and his squad slow down to a halt as they too tried to work out what was happening. He watched Marco shake the Armoured Titan by the shoulders. He could feel the earth trembling all the way from where he was, where the other Titan’s head crashed against the ground as he shook.  
Marco yanked the Armoured Titan up so their faces were nearly touching, Jean saw Marco’s chest heaving as he breathed deeply, before his mouth fell open wide and let out an ear splitting cry. As opposed to the scream of pure anger and rage that Jean had hear come from Eren, Marco’s cry was just that, a cry. Jean heard the anger, raw and scraping at Marco’s throat, but the most defining sound was a sound of sorrow. It was the same quiet rasping sound that Marco made when he cried. The roar ripped through Jean’s heart, but there was nothing he could do now.

Marco regained control of himself, glaring deep in to Reiner’s eyes. The Armoured Titan looked like it was smirking, which only riled Marco up more. But he suppressed the urges to tear Reiner to shreds. He shoved himself up, dropping Reiner back to the ground. He nudged his foot under the Armoured Titan’s body, and kicked up, grunting as he pushed with enough force to flip Reiner in to the air and on to his front. He stood on Reiner’s back with the same foot, to keep him in place, and snapped his head around to look down to Levi.  
The captain seemed to get the message, and he waved his squad forwards. Marco sat himself down on the small of Reiner’s back, and grabbed his wrists. He held them above his head. They ran as fast as they could, and bypassed their ODM grapples entirely. It would be useless against the Armoured Titan’s skin and they needed to be fast. Instead, they climbed up Marco’s leg and on to the Armoured Titan’s back. It was constantly moving beneath them, so they had to be careful.

Marco watched on intently as all five of the set about slicing in to the hard flesh. They had to ram in their blades with all the strength they could muster, ignoring the roars of protest Reiner was letting out below them. Marco shoved his hands harder into the dirt, which shut him up for a while.  
Levi’s squad made a valiant effort but the large plates of skin in their way was hard to move. There were cracks and steam forming around the edges, so they knew they were slowly breaking through, but with a glance up Levi could see Marco’s arms were shaking and he wouldn’t hold out for much longer. He barked out the order to his squad to try harder, go faster. They all tried their best, Eld resorting to trying to lever the plate off with his blades, but the Armoured Titan began to squirm beneath them, throwing their balance off. Levi called it, and they all hopped down.  
Levi managed to catch Marco’s attention. “You have to get them out!” That was all he could manage before Reiner slipped one hand free, and brought it down where the squad had just been stood. Marco frowned. He could see the skin around Reiner’s nape had come loose, but it was healing rapidly and he didn’t know if he was strong enough to pull it free.

With a deep breath and as threatening a growl as he could manage, he grabbed Reiner’s free hand and pulled it hard across the Armoured Titan’s back, forcing it to a place where it would snap clean of if Reiner made any sudden moves. He shoved down on the other Titan’s wrists to make his point, before he ducked his head down.

Jean watched from the side lines as Marco pulled his jaw as wide as it would go, the thin strips of flesh that connected his top and bottom jaw stretching so far they looked like they could snap. Jean’s eyes widened as Marco moved right up against the Armoured Titan’s nape, and his jaw snapped shut like elastic. The Armoured Titan wailed as its nape was tugged free, before it fell silent, and the lump of flesh snapped free of the body with a repulsive, wet snapping sound. Jean could hear it even from where he was sat, and winced. He could only hope Marco had remembered the right dimensions of a Titan’s nape. Marco threw his head back, and spat the hunk of flesh to the ground, before he clambered off the decaying body of the Armoured Titan. Jean could see the splatters of Titan blood slowly turning to steam from Marco’s cheek. Marco’s arms fell limp to his sides, Jean could see his hands were shaking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if this is what people came for, but here it is anyways. The whole reason for writing this story was so I could do more Titan Marco things, but I got sidetracked while I was writing, so this is kind of it.


	26. Clearing Dust

Jean glanced to Erwin and his group. He could see Mike stood by as well. Was he allowed to move now? Slowly, feeling a little less pain in his head, he rose back to his feet, and slowly jogged over to the commander and his friends. Mike’s eyes fell on him as he approached, and Erwin’s soon followed after a brief tap on his shoulder from Mike. Jean slowed down, suddenly worried. It looked like Mike was about to come over to him, but Erwin put an arm out to stop him, and he nodded to Jean, showing him it was safe to come over.  
Mikasa, Armin and a few others noticed Jean’s approach, and were stunned into silence. Armin stumbled forwards towards him, but Mikasa and Sasha both held him back. They watched on as he stumbled to a halt in front of the commander.  
“Sir-”  
Erwin held up a hand, and Jean fell into silence.  
“You need to go and see your friend. I believe Levi will be cutting him free about now.” Jean frowned, but Erwin wasn’t offering him anything more helpful, so, slowly, he turned, and began jogging away.  
“Are you sure they won’t resent you?” Mike whispered in to Erwin’s ear.  
Erwin smiled, and shook his head. “Maybe. But I hope they’ll understand, and appreciate the outcome.”  
Mike looked at Erwin for a second, but, as ever, he kept his thoughts to himself and turned his gaze back to the scene in front of them.

Jean slowed down to a walk as he came up behind squad Levi. They were all stood, watching Levi carve out Marco from his Titan’s neck. He had collapsed to his knees, then fallen forward, face first in to the dirt, and Levi had been able to climb up his arm and on to his back. Jean watched from the ground as Levi sliced away the flesh in one go, and pulled Marco out of the wreckage of his Titan form, before the captain lay him down and jumped away again. He headed down to the ground and lead his squad over to the hunk of flesh Marco had bitten away from the Armoured Titan, but Jean didn’t care about that just then.  
He clambered up on to the Titan body and headed straight for were Marco had been left. He was relieved to see Marco’s chest rising and falling steadily, his head lolling to one side, his eyes closed. He fell to his knees beside the brunette, scooping him up in to his arms and rocking him gently until he saw Marco’s eyes flutter open.

“Marco, what happened, you tur-”  
He didn’t expect Marco to launch himself up and tackle him into a constricting hug. The wind was almost knocked right out of his lungs.  
“Uh, M-Marco?” he managed to choke out. He patted Marco’s back, trying to pull him off. Marco didn’t relent, just spoke in to Jean’s shoulder.  
“Jean, I thought you were dead, what happened? Please, don’t scare me like that!”  
Jean frowned. “Dead? Marco, what?”  
Marco finally pulled himself from Jean, holding the blonde by the shoulders, looking him hard in the eyes. He was frowning, and that alone was enough to worry Jean.  
“Y-you were in the Armoured Titan’s hand, and then it dropped you and you weren’t moving!”  
Jean chewed his lip, until he finally realised what Marco was referring to.  
“I was in the Titan’s hand, but, Squad Leader Mike cut me out before it could get me. Then he… Well, he shoved me off its shoulder. Then I blacked out.”  
Marco grumbled, and whined to himself at the same time. Jean could feel his fingers digging in to his shoulders. Jean tilted his head.  
“Is that why you went Titan all of a sudden?”  
Marco nodded, looking away from Jean. “Well, I… I didn’t want to, I don’t think. But, Commander Erwin said I should. And, I was so upset, I guess I didn’t mind. I suppose it worked.” He gestured back to where Squad Levi was cutting away at the steaming Titan flesh.

Jean nodded. He didn’t really mind what had happened, as long as Marco was safe, and not as messed up as he had been the first time he’d emerged from his Titan form. He had looked over him quickly and found nothing wrong, aside from the scarred flesh from before and some gross, pinkish stains around his clothes. He could wash those out later for him.  
“Erwin.” Jean muttered. He frowned, and searched the treeline for their commander. He could see the blonde man wandering slowly over to Levi’s squad. He looked surprisingly casual for what he had just had to deal with. He shook his head, and turned back to Marco. He tucked an arm under Marco’s shoulders and helped him stand, walking down to the ground with him, slowly.

The squad that Erwin had taken were now tasking with helping the injured back to the barracks. Jean watched Armin and Mikasa bot help a young girl up from the ground. They didn’t notice him watching. He’d have to introduce himself to everyone again later to make sure nobody else thought he was dead.  
Jean and Marco stood and watched as the lump of Titan flesh slowly dissolved. All of Levi’s squad were surrounding it, blades drawn and ready to catch whoever was inside. Marco was sure he knew who was inside by now. He glanced to Jean, wondering if he had realised as well, but judging by the intense way he was watching the scene in front of them, he hadn’t. Marco shrugged. It made sense; he had a little less information and personal experience to go from than he did.

There was a call from Eld as a hand was revealed from the dissolving flesh. Everyone tensed. The broad hand reached blindly around for purchase, before it began to claw at the steaming meat. They were digging themselves out. Soon both arms were free and they were easily tearing away at the flesh until, with a loud, gasping breath, they pulled themselves free. Marco felt Jean tense, and lurch forward. Marco grabbed at his shirt to stop him from doing anything dumb. Jean growled, but stood begrudgingly by in silence.  
Marco had been right. Reiner shoved himself out of the meat, throwing himself over the side and pulling himself free. He stumbled to his feet, and looked like he was about to make a run for it, but when he found Petra’s blade mere inches away from the end of his nose, he seemed to have second thoughts.

Erwin frowned, but didn’t look surprised. Levi was quick to step in front of Petra, staring Reiner down until Erwin arrived.  
Reiner snapped around to look at the commander, and was about to say something, but Erwin cut him off effortlessly, coming to stand behind Levi.  
“Reiner Braun, you are under arrest for treason against humanity; using your Titan ability to destroy the walls, and for participation in the murder of a fellow cadet.”  
Erwin glanced quickly to Marco, and Reiner followed his gaze. Marco winced when he met Reiner’s eyes. He was angry, and Marco could still see the fire raging behind his tired eyes. He clung to Jean tighter. When Reiner’s eyes fell on Jean, he froze for a second. Clearly he had believed Jean was dead as well. He frowned.  
Erwin produced a pair of handcuffs, which were taken from him by Eld, who swiftly secured Reiner’s hands behind his back. Reiner grunted at the yanking on his arms, but surprisingly, didn’t put up a fight.  
“Just out of curiosity,” Erwin continued. He sounded like he was catching up with an old friend, and Marco found the whole thing a little bit surreal. “What were you hoping to accomplish here today? I would have understood if you had destroyed the barracks, but you seemed to have other ideas.”

Reiner’s eyes stayed on Jean, until Eld nudged him hard in the back to prompt a response. Reiner slowly looked back to the commander before he spoke.  
“You mean there’s something the great Commander Smith doesn’t know?” The smirk on Reiner’s lips contrasted with just how tired his voice made him sound.  
Erwin smiled. “I can’t say I don’t have an idea. You were looking for those two, weren’t you?” He gestured vaguely to Jean and Marco.  
Reiner smirked wider, scoffed, but didn’t answer directly. Erwin seemed to accept that as conformation, and gently tugged Levi aside. They discussed in hushed tones what was to be done now. The rest of Levi’s squad was dismissed to aid in the clean-up, aside from Eld, who stayed to hold Reiner in place. Jean and Marco had been asked not to go anywhere, and so stood in uncomfortable silence mere feet away from Reiner. The one who had now tried to kill them both. They could feel Reimer’s eyes on them, and the entire time Marco could feel Jean practically trembling with rage. He held Jean’s forearm in his hands and hoped he wouldn’t lose it.  
“I don’t get why you went through all the trouble of luring us out here with that cute stones-at-the-window thing.” Jean hissed. Reiner huffed a weak laugh.  
“Come to my trial, maybe you’ll find out.” Reiner grunted. “If they don’t decide to cut my head off right here.”  
Jean grunted, and turned his gaze away, deciding this conversation was over.

Erwin and Levi turned back to the three younger soldiers. Levi nodded to Eld, and the blonde dragged Reiner away, back towards the barracks, just as the sun made its first appearance over the horizon. Marco and Jean watched them go, until they disappeared around the barracks wall.  
“Marco, Jean, please, come with me.” Erwin offered them both a simple smile. Tentatively, Marco nodded.  
“Yes, sir.”  
Erwin started off towards the barracks, and Marco and Jean followed, Levi walking quietly behind them. Marco didn’t let go of Jean’s arm until Erwin slowed to a halt outside his office door.  
“Come in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost there.
> 
> Promise everything will hopefully be explained next chapter. Looking at you, Erwin.  
> And then we can all move on with our lives.


	27. Answers

Erwin’s office was becoming all too familiar to Jean and Marco. They sat down obediently in the seats across from the commander’s desk. Both boys were glad to sit down, their entire bodies aching. Erwin sat against the front of his desk, and Levi stood to his right, near the wall, watching.  
“I have to apologise for my actions this morning.” Erwin sighed. Jean frowned, unsure of what the commander meant. Erwin had anticipated as much, and continued.   
“I manipulated both of you, and I am sorry. Jean, I had asked Mike to help you get close to the Armoured Titan. I asked him to ensure you would fall, and appear dead. That is why I also had Mike keep you away from anyone else. And Marco, of course, I encouraged you to embrace your Titan form. It was the only way I could see us defeating Reiner. Of course, it worked, but I must be honest with you. I am sorry for any distress this caused you.” His eyes fell on Marco, but the brunette smiled softly to himself. He understood. He was just relieved Jean was okay, and that Erwin had been in control this whole time. It was reassuring.

Jean was a little less appreciative. He folded his arms defensively over his chest, scowling at his commander. Erwin offered Jean a smile, but Jean only relaxed slightly.  
“It was for the betterment of humanity.” Erwin said simply, looking right down at Jean.  
“I get it. Just. It’d be nice to be in the loop a little more around here. It’s frightening enough facing off against Titans day in day out. Not knowing who is actually on your side doesn’t help.” He huffed a sigh, and finally looked back at Erwin.  
“I take your criticism on board, then. Thank you.”  
Erwin pushed himself up from his desk, and walked to the other side of the room, out of Marco or Jean’s vision. They took a moment to glance to each other. Marco sent Jean a sympathetic smile, and briefly reached out to stroke his arm. Jean relaxed a little more, and even smiled back at Marco. He rested his hand over the top of Marco’s, stroking over Marco’s knuckles with his thumb.

Erwin cleared his throat politely as he came to stand back in front of the pair. Jean jumped, and Marco quickly pulled his hand back to his side. Erwin laughed to himself. Marco noticed he was holding what looked like a pile of clothes in his arms. He saw Marco looking at it, and smiled.  
“We understand you don’t have any clothes here at the barracks, and those trousers and shirt, well, no amount of cleaning will save them” He chuckled, and even Jean cracked a smile. He had to admit that Marco looked a state. “So these are for you. There is a new harness here as well, as I understand you don’t have one here. And, it must be said that you have done the Survey Corps a massive service in helping capture Reiner Braun. You have more than proved your worth, and, we would be glad to have you here.”  
With that, Erwin held the small pile out to Marco. The brunette stood from his chair, and gratefully took the clothes and pile of leather straps from his new commander, thanking Erwin profusely.

Resting on the top of the pile was a jacked, neatly folded, with the Survey Corps emblem, the Wings of Freedom, proudly patched on to the breast pocket. This hadn’t been where Marco had wanted to go. He had always wanted to graduate in to the Military Police. But the past few days had shown him that the Survey Corps were good people, and the work they did, however dangerous, was important. And, as a bonus, Jean was here. He wouldn’t be able to leave, even if he wanted to, he couldn’t imagine spending any more time separated from Jean after all they had been through together.  
Jean watched Marco carefully as Marco stared down at the jacket in his hands. Jean could tell Marco was proud, even though it looked like he was about to burst in to tears. It made Jean’s heart swell in that special way that only Marco had ever managed to cause. He smiled as Marco gently brushed the backs of his fingers over the patch. Even Levi felt a gentle tug at the corner of his lips at the sight.

Marco tore his eyes away from the jacket, and met Erwin’s sincere gaze.  
“Thank you so much, sir! It would be an honour to serve in the Survey Corps.”  
“The Military Police will easily hear of this. We could certainly put in a good word for you, if that is still where you wish to serve?”  
Marco froze, but he found it much easier to shake away the thoughts than he may have done even a year ago. He gave Jean a quick glance, and the smile on Jean’s lips was all the convincing Marco really needed. He shook his head.  
“That’s kind of you, sir, but I think I’d like to stay here.”  
Erwin gave a knowing glance between the pair, and smiled.  
“Then we will gladly have you on board. I’m sure Jean will be able to fill you in with our training regimen.” He looked to Jean, who nodded in agreement.  
“Yes, sir.”  
“And Section Commander Hange will no doubt want to look you over some more, there I still much to discover, between you and Eren. You will likely be called to court as Eren was. But I’m sure we can strike a similar bargain with Premier Zackly. You are, after all, a little less… Impulsive, than Eren.”  
Jean snorted, thinking that was the largest understatement of the century.  
Marco nodded.  
“Yes, sir.”

Erwin relaxed back on to his desk, uncrossing his arms and resting his hands on the wood either side of his hips. Marco frowned for a second, and looked back up to Erwin.  
“What will happen to Reiner? And Bertholdt.”  
Erwin’s expression dropped slightly.  
“Reiner will be taken to court, and then, most likely, jail. As for the other one, he seems to have fled already. Search parties will be sent out to search for him in the immediate area. It’s hard to travel anywhere without a horse on these plains, and as far as we can see, all our horses are accounted for. He will also be reported to both the Military Police and the Garrison. Everyone will be on watch for him. As far as I can see, that is all we can do, for now.”  
Erwin could see the flash of apprehension across Marco’s eyes.  
“We look after our own here. If either of them come near you or Jean, we will ensure your safety.”  
Marco’s shoulders relaxed. Jean, finally feeling confident on his feet, stood up from his chair and wrapped his arm around Marco’s shoulders in a quick hug.  
“Thank you both for your service today.” Erwin said, standing up from his desk, and offering both soldiers a fierce salute.  
Marco and Jean both saluted in return, Marco tucking his new uniform under his arm as he did so. Erwin dismissed them, and the pair quickly left the room, clicking the door shut behind them both.

Once they were out in the hall, Jean tackled Marco with a hug that made Marco yelp out in surprise. He could only hug back with his one free hand so he wouldn’t drop his pristine new uniform. He rubbed up and down Jean’s back until the blonde finally let go. They bumped their foreheads together gently.  
Jean left a trail of gentle butterfly kisses down Marco’s nose, over his cheeks, along his jaw. It was out of character for Jean to be so soppy out where people might see, but Marco wasn’t about to complain.  
When Jean finally relented, he managed to ask, “What’s gotten in to you?” His question was interspersed with giggles.  
Jean shrugged. “I’m just happy you’re okay, and that I’m okay, and that Reiner’s finally gone. It’s just been an emotional few days, alright?”  
Marco nodded with a laugh. “Alright.”

After a few more firm kisses over as many of Marco’s freckles as he could reach, Jean finally let him go. He held his hand out expectantly. Marco quirked an eyebrow at him.  
“Hand me your uniform.”  
Carefully, Marco placed the pile of clothes and straps in to Jean’s waiting hands. He watched as Jean placed them on the floor, and picked up the jacket from the top of the pile. Marco stepped away as Jean went to put it on him.  
“Jean, I’ll get it dirty. Look at this shirt!”  
Jean shook his head. “This jacket’ll see a lot worse than some dirt and dried Titan insides. Come on.”  
Marco sighed with a smile, and came back close to Jean, obediently tucking his hands in to the sleeves while Jean yanked the collar in to place. Marco shrugged his shoulders and let the jacket fall in to place. Marco looked himself over, then looked up to Jean, who was stood, chewing his lip.  
“Marco.” He breathed. “It… It really suits you.” Marco smiled shyly under Jean’s wide eyed gaze. 

Jean stepped in closer, backing Marco up against a wall. He rested one forearm against the wall beside Marco’s head, while his other hand rested on Marco’s hips.  
“I told you, we’d be okay.”  
Marco chuckled quietly, snaking his arms around Jean’s neck and pulling him closer. He planted one soft kiss against Jean’s lips, then another. Jean smiled against Marco’s lips, and let out a quiet sigh.  
“Yeah,” he breathed between kisses, letting Jean stroke his bangs from his face, “We’re okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's done!  
> I'm sorry if the ending feels a little anticlimactic, with Bert getting away and all, but hopefully everything is resolved properly. It just got to a point where I wanted to finish, y'know? And I'm not good at long stories anyway, so trying to make this any longer to bring Bert back in, this story would lose any kind of focus or sense.
> 
> So yeah.
> 
> And thank you to everyone who read this, and commented and gave kudos. This was really fun, to write such a long story and be able to get feedback from you guys. I hope you enjoyed it, anyways.


End file.
